Egocentric Brat
by BlurryIllusions
Summary: It's not like Roxas knew he would soon meet the red-headed kid he bullied as a child, right? Every time he looked into those captivating, green eyes, he feels a bit funny but it'll all pass over soon, right? AKUROKU. Multi-Chaptered.
1. Prologue

**Characters: Roxas & Axel (Akuroku) **

**ROXAS'S POV**

* * *

**Prologue**

Growing up, times were easy. Any time I wanted a toy, I would simply pout and widen my teary, azure eyes. Then, my parents would grab their wallets to pay as their faces soften, adoring the display of their cute son. I was a spoiled child with my blond hair and light blue eyes as most people had observed. I went to a rich school where I met most of my recent friends. I also had the best clothes anyone would ask for. Plus, I had an attitude of a self-centered brat which I still have till this day.

Making friends was easy back then too, as I put on a huge smile and blabber about things most kids would talk about. I constantly ditched my old friends for new friends. It was easy, watching them stumble towards me, confused as to why I stopped interacting with them. It didn't bother me until my "new" friends ditched me, mocking my egocentric ways. I reacted in a very child-like behavior as I stuck my tongue out and stomped away.

There's only a few people I can really remember from my past and Sora was among that few. He's still a very close friend of mine with his gravity-defying brown hair, sky-blue eyes and tacky style. There was also Riku, with his silver hair and sea green eyes. I admit, I did confront Riku with the idea of stealing Sora's place but that plan disappeared as I got a taste of his personality. The moments spent with Riku were not enjoyable as I recalled the competitive streak and aggravating calmness of the pale, silver-haired kid. Kairi was also part of the group of people I recalled, with her auburn hair, indigo eyes and sweet, kind self.

It was fun, despite my rude, childish ways. I remember playing hide and seek with them all afternoon in the neighborhood park since we all lived nearby. Riku and Sora would often compete to see how athletic or strong the other was. I would join sometimes, grinning with pride every time I beat them in their self-made contests. I would occasionally sit on the bench, watching Sora, Riku, and Kairi build a castle in the sandbox, refusing when they invited me to help.

Vaguely, I also remember a red-headed neighbor. My mother would insist for me to play with him, mostly because she had become close acquaintances with the red-head's parents. It was stupid, wasting my time with the kid. I think his name was Axel but yeah, I hated his guts. He was a chubby, fat kid with freckles and strange green eyes hidden behind stupid-looking glasses. Axel also had this weird clown-colored, short hair and the worst sense of style I've ever seen. He was at least three years older than my six-year old self and had the creepiest personality ever.

Axel was definitely a loser so I spent most of my time bullying him, attacking him with words. I called him fat, mocked his strange colored hair and eyes and taunted the way he acted around me. He would follow me around without saying a word, accepting the way I treated him. He would stutter every time I talked to him and it was hilarious. Though, I grew bitter and annoyed at the idea of spending time with the fatso rather than Sora, Riku and Kairi.

I soon turned physical as I spent more time with him, pushing him down into the ground or slapping him across the face. Axel would stare at me with shocked eyes behind his glasses while I threw him a sneer, angry I had to spend time with him. For some reason, I got the feeling Axel adored me despite the way I treated him but I regarded the thought in disgust.

On some occasions, I tossed aside my snotty attitude and ignored the fact that Axel wasn't someone who I thought of as a friend. Walking down to the nearest ice cream parlor, with him trailing behind me, I would order two sea-salt popsicles. He would stare at me with suspicion, before taking the popsicle with a beam to his face. Then, I would walk down to my favorite spot on top of an abandoned building before sitting down to watch the sunset. Tentatively, Axel would sit down and stare at me before scarfing down the popsicle like a fatso.

Then one day, I learned from my mother that Axel would be moving out of his house with his family the next morning. The same afternoon, Axel had come to visit me. My mother invited him in, with a gentle smile, as she led him to my room. I sat down on the bed, staring at Axel with a frown.

"Hey R-Roxas." Axel stuttered as he shifted his plump body nervously.

"What do you want, chubby?" I said as I crossed my arms with the meanest look I can muster.

"Umm, since I'm moving tomorrow, I wondered if you wanted to keep in touch. I-uh-can give you my p-phone number?" Axel stammered as sweaty beads rolled down his face.

"WHAT, ha-ha, wha-a-t, why would I do that? You're weird." I choked on laughter, my voice squeaking.

"W-well I-I s-sorta t-t-thought w-we were f-f-friends?" Axel stumbled over his words, face turning red as a horrified look overcame him.

"What made you think that? Don't you remember the times I'd make fun of you?" I stated with an amused, cold look to my face.

"I-I just t-thought you w-were joking... I m-mean f-friends do that too, r-right?" With a slightly hopeful look to his face, Axel stared at me.

"No, you're so stupid." My blue eyes locked into his green eyes. "And besides, I don't want to be friends with someone like you. You're too fat and stupid and creepy and weird." I rambled on, face twisting in disgust.

Axel gulped, as he moved awkwardly to the door. "U-uh, y-yeah, I-I'll m-miss you t-too. Bye, s-see you s-someday.."

I cackled, "IT'S NOT LIKE I'M EVER GOING TO SEE YOU AGAIN, HAHAHA!" Tears flew out of my blue eyes as I laughed hysterically.

After that day, I never saw the sight of Axel in the fifteen years I've lived. But I didn't really mind since I wasn't desperate to meet some fat guy who probably still have the feels for me. I mean it's not like I knew I was bound to meet him sooner or later. Axel, spiky red hair, looking nowhere near the kid I bullied in my childhood years.

I mean it's not like I knew, right?

* * *

_**I had this idea so I decided to write. I also desperately wanted to write a fat, creepy, awkward KID Axel like really.. Sorry for those people that didn't like it but I'm planning on changing that when you meet the present Axel (HUUGE DIFFERENCE).. I ALSO wanted to write a Bully, selfish Roxas. So yeaah..**_

_**I might change this into 3rd person next chapter since I found myself writing 3rd person occasionally while writing this chapter.**_

_**Might delete this story if I can't think of anything to write since I'm awful at multi-chaptered fics and keeping an idea. I also have no idea what to write beyond this point too.**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Fuck! What the hell, Hayner?" Roxas growled as Hayner snickered. With a scowl, Roxas picked himself up from the ground where he had tripped. Olette and Pence were off to the side, with a grin to their faces as they laughed along to Roxas's misfortune. "Why the fuck would you have your shitty skateboard in front of where I'm walking?"

"Gosh, I'm so sorry! I shall now make sure to never leave my crappy skateboard in front of the amazing Roxas. We wouldn't want any marks appearing on his perfect face, now do we? Apparently, the "amazing" Roxas isn't able to fend for himself, tripping on something in front of his eyes," Hayner joked, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Whatever.."

Roxas slowly started to relax as a smile appeared on his face. Walking besides him were his friends, Hayner, Pence and Olette. Roxas had met them in middle school, where he was able obtain a fast relationship. They all shared his love of skateboarding. Also, they definitely know how to make a conversation. Hayner was the first one he had met. Roxas recalled Hayner treating him coldly before warming up quickly after Roxas had helped him fix his broken skateboard. Hayner had brown eyes, light skin and spiky, blond hair to go along his impulsive and reckless personality. After meeting Hayner, he soon met Olette, with her forest green eyes, soft peach-colored skin, and brown hair. She had greeted him with her happy-go-lucky attitude and tomboyish ways. Then, Roxas met Pence, a little chubby with light skin, brown eyes and black hair. Pence made a good addition to the group with his humor.

They were walking home from Oblivion High, a bit chilly since December was close. After reaching the spot where they said their goodbyes, Roxas parted to the direction of his house. Sighing, Roxas remembered that he had forgotten to contact Sora. Roxas's mom had insisted for Sora to stay for dinner for this certain Friday. As Roxas strolled home, he noticed a moving truck at least a block away from where he lived. It was unusual for people to move in because of the cost of the houses and most people were dirt poor to afford the houses. Shrugging it off, Roxas reached his home where his mother had greeted him from the front porch.

"Hey sweetie, how was school?" Roxas's mother questioned. Light blond hair ran down her back as her hazel eyes gazed lovingly to her boy. Shelbie, Roxas's mother, had grabbed Roxas by the hand and began to lead him to the couch. Roxas sighed before taking a seat on the couch.

"As boring as it can get. Why does school even exist?"

"Please don't say that. School teaches people things we need to know to succeed in life," Shelbie sternly said as she began to stroke Roxas's blond locks.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, don't even remind me," Roxas murmured as he removed his mother's hand from his head.

"On another note, did you ask Sora to come over for dinner? I'm making steak, mashed potatoes and asparagus. It's going to be great."

Roxas groaned. "Ah, whoops, I must have forgotten. Sorry.." Roxas stared at his mom with a slightly apologetic face.

"It's fine sweetie, do you want me to call him for you?"

"Yeah. That'll be great, mom." Roxas stared ahead, absent-mindedly, as he listened to his mother shuffle through her pockets. After grabbing hold of her phone, she dialed in Sora's number.

"Hello? Sora, how're you? Oh, that's good to hear.." Roxas tapped his foot as he concentrated to his mother's conversation with the brown-headed teen.

"Do you want to come over for dinner? Sadly, Roxas had forgotten to remind you earlier in school. Riku? Sure, feel free to invite him too. The more, the merrier." Roxas grumbled as he heard the silver-head teen's name spew out of his mother's mouth. Roxas wasn't particularly fond of Riku's attitude despite being childhood friends.

"Okay, see you tonight! Bye!" Shelbie ended the call before flickering her eyes towards Roxas.

"Good news, Riku's co-"

"I know. I heard it. I'm going upstairs to take a nap. Just call me when moron number 1 and moron number 2 gets here for dinner," Roxas vocalized as he started to walk upstairs.

"Okay, I'll get moron number 1 to grab you from your beauty sleep. 'Kay?" Shelbie teased, eyes twinkling.

"Perfect!" Roxas grinned. Slamming his bedroom door, he jumped into his room before snuggling into the blankets that laid upon his bed. Yawning, he quickly fell asleep.

* * *

"Yo, ROXAS! It's moron number 1 reporting to you. I'm pleased to say it's dinner time. Roxas, open the dooooooor!" Roxas moaned in annoyance as loud knocks invaded his ears.

"I GOT IT! SORA, JUST GET YOUR STUPID ASS DOWNSTAIRS! I'LL BE DOWN THERE IN FIVE MINUTES!" Roxas screamed.

"Okay!" After the footsteps resided from the door, Roxas sat up and yawned, stretching his arms out. Scrunching his face in disgust, Roxas groaned at the gross taste of bitterness in his mouth. Roxas trudged downstairs, more tired than ever as he greeted the sight of Sora and Riku.

"...Hey..." Roxas said in a tired voice. He grabbed a chair, sitting across from Sora.

"Hey Roxas!" Sora replied, chirpy. Sitting next to Sora was Riku, while Roxas' mother had decided to sit right next to Roxas. On the table were juicy steaks, mashed potatoes and some asparagus.

"Wow, this tastes awesome Mrs. Hayes. I really like the mashed potatoes. They're so good," Sora complimented with his mouth full. Riku only nodded in agreement while Roxas only stared at Sora with disgust.

"Ugh, don't talk with your mouth full," Roxas complained.

"Whoops!" Sora swallowed before smiling sheepishly.

"Roxas, don't be such a bummer. It's so nice of you to say that, Sora. You're such a sweetheart," Shelbie said, her face shining.

"No problem."

"So, how are you doing Riku? It's been quite a while since I've seen you. A few months I think," Roxas's mother questioned, gaze turning towards the sea-green eyes of Riku. "It's such a shame Roxas doesn't invite you here more often."

"Yeah, you should invite us here more often Roxas!" Sora said while digging his fork into the steak. Roxas only groaned in response.

"Well, I've been busy with school so it's fine. I see Roxas at school on some occasions," Riku said, steadily cutting his steak to pieces before plopping the meat into his mouth.

"Oh really, school should always be your first priority so that's good," Shelbie praised as Riku nodded in response.

"Hey Roxas, now that I'm here, can I ask you a question?" Sora babbled.

"You already did." Roxas replied smartly.

Sora scowled, "You know what I mean."

"Sure, ask me a question then."

"Do you want to hang out tomorrow? It's been so long since we all hanged out together. I'm planning on bringing Kairi and Riku. Is that okay with you?" Sora rambled with a nervous smile.

"That'll be so good for Roxas. Say yes, you really need to get out and grab some air." Shelbie squealed, face brightening up.

"Unless you're hanging out with Hayner and the others." Sora added in, with a pout.

Roxas sighed, thinking about it. Roxas had planned on inviting the others to the skate park tomorrow but he can delay it for another day. It had been a while since he'd done things with Sora though it was mostly due to the fact they didn't really shared much in common.

"Sure, why not? It's been months since we hanged out together." Roxas said as a grin started to slowly make it's way up.

"Yaaay! Sora exclaimed, blue orbs gleaming with excitement. "Oh gosh, we can do so many things!"

As dinner rolled on, Shelbie continued asking various questions to which Sora replied enthusiastically. Riku had also calmly answered the questions Shelbie had asked. After everyone was full and content, the teens headed into the living room for a moment while Shelbie excused herself to her bedroom. Roxas, Sora and Riku had concentrated on playing on the Xbox 360 before Sora had realized it was getting late.

"Wow, it's getting late! I guess it's time for Riku and I to go home." Sora said as he jumped off the couch.

"Well, it's been fun..." Riku grumpily muttered.

"Gosh Riku, no need to infect us with your dark feelings. Roxas won square and fair like he does most of the time," Sora stated as Roxas smirked with triumph. Feeling satisfaction run through him, Roxas led the two friends towards the door.

"You should think about handing us a couple of games, Roxas. You have so much games that you never play with and I have only two for my Xbox," Sora whined, grabbing ahold onto Roxas's sleeve as he sulked.

"No way! They're mine. There's no way I'm ever giving them away, I worked hard for them." Roxas muttered with a frown.

"What did you do? Give your mom the puppy dog eye look? Or did you start tearing up?" Riku questioned, a dark smirk gracing his face. Roxas scowled angrily at Riku as he shooed them out of the house. Sora had turned around to wave a goodbye.

"See ya tomorrow, Rox!" Sora yelled, walking beside Riku.

"Yeah, I'll see you then," Roxas shouted in response. He turned around and closed the door, getting ready for his well-deserved sleep.

* * *

The sun gleamed harshly onto Roxas's face as he started to give way to consciousness on a particular Saturday morning. With a grumble, he turned over to gaze at his clock. **10:55 a.m. **Deciding it was time to get ready, Roxas slowly rose from his bed as he walked to the bathroom. After that, he entered his bedroom, rummaging through his clothes. He decided on dark blue jeans with a white hoodie, with several black block designs and the inside of his hoodie being red. Underneath his jacket was a black tee, along with black converses. Stomach growling, Roxas invaded the kitchen to deal with his hunger. Munching on a apple, Roxas left the house, walking towards his destination. He soon reached the park he had spent most of his childhood days at, waiting for Sora and the others to arrive.

"Roxas! It's really you! It's been so long since we spent time together." Kairi had launched Roxas into her arms for a hug as her dark auburn hair smothered Roxas's face. Sora was off to the side with Riku, grinning widely.

"Hey Kairi! It's been a while, hasn't it?" Smiling gently, Roxas waved a "hello" towards Sora and Riku. Beaming, Sora waved back enthusiastically as Riku nodded silently.

"Well, you guys ready to go watch some movies?" Sora interjected wrapping an arm around Roxas and Kairi.

Roxas, along with the others, then proceeded to walk towards a movie theater. After buying the tickets, they had bought popcorn, drinks and candy to accompany their movie. They had decided on a horror movie. It was pleasant for Roxas as he watched Sora and Kairi trembling in fright, shrieking occasionally while Riku stared, relaxed.

After the movie had ended, they headed to a pizza plaza. They decided upon a pepperoni pizza, devouring it on sight. After they were content, they proceeded to walk towards the park they had met up at. Sitting on the swings, next to Kairi, Roxas had pulled out his phone to check the time. **5:30** **p.m.**

"Gosh, that was so much fun. It was so much more thrilling with you here Roxas. I wish you spent more time with us." Kairi whispered, mouth curled upwards in a smile.

"Yeah, I agree." Sora added on, eyes gleaming with content as it focused upon Roxas's azure orbs. Standing beside Sora, Riku had murmured with agreement.

Roxas smiled. "Yeah, maybe I'll think more about it. But for now, I need to leave." Roxas stood up from the swings, hugging Kairi a goodbye.

"I promise I'll try to meet up with you guys more. It's been fun, see you on Monday at school." Roxas had walked a couple steps before turning back to wave a final goodbye. Sighing, Roxas decided to walk to his favorite ice cream parlor shop before heading home. He strolled, lost in thought, feeling happy from the day. After a while, he entered the parlor, gazing at his shoes absent-mindedly. After purchasing his sea-salt popsicle, he glided out of the door, only to drop his popsicle to the floor.

"FUCK! I PAID A DOLLAR FOR THAT!" His feelings of joy soon evolved to feelings of anger as he glared down at the popsicle before rising his eyes to the guy he had bumped into. "Shit! Aren't you going to apolo-" Roxas's fierce blue eyes trailed up to meet emerald green eyes.

"I recall you being the one to bump into me so maybe you should be the one apologizing." A deep voice uttered from the green-eyed guy.

Scowling, Roxas had replied, "How about you apologize first, then maybe I'll consider it." Roxas took a closer look towards the stranger he had bumped into. Fiery, red spikes were rising from every direction of the green-eyed stranger. He was also tall.. really.. really tall... as he towered over Roxas. He was really skinny too, almost to the point of anorexia but probably healthy as Roxas gazed at his fair skin. His arms and legs were lanky.. Despite his skinny build, Roxas could tell that this guy was good-looking. He could probably be a model or a chick magnet. For some reason, Roxas felt as if he had met this guy before. "Have we met before? You look familiar..."

The redhead took one look towards Roxas, scrutinizing Roxas's cerulean eyes and tousled blond hair before replying. "Nope, I think I would remember someone as cute as you." The green-eyed man purred, grinning as Roxas flushed red.

"Uhh, okay?" Roxas shuffled awkwardly at the compliment. Taking one final look at the redhead, he walked back into the ice cream parlor, determined to buy his favorite treat.

"I'll buy it for you. I mean it was my fault I bumped into you." The redhead exclaimed before pulling up towards the cashier.

"Umm, okay, thanks..?" Roxas muttered, feeling a bit strange.

"So, what flavor do you want your popsicle or ice cream to be?" The slim redhead had questioned.

"A sea-salt popsicle," Roxas responded.

The emerald green-eyed redhead paused before muttering, "Wow... that's an odd flavor. Didn't know that people even liked that flavor.. Two sea-salt popsicles, please? Thanks.." The stranger handed the popsicle to Roxas before plopping his own treat into his mouth.

"Why did you get one too?" Roxas asked, a curious look to his face as he gazed at the redheaded stranger.

"Well, I used to have a lot of these when I was younger. It's been a while since I last had one," He replied, a thoughtful look to his face as he stared at Roxas.

Shifting his feet to the side, Roxas frowned. "So, what's your name?"

"My name? Oh it's A-** _BRIIIIINNNG_ **- Got it memorized?" Roxas blinked, slightly confused, before realizing his mother had interrupted his conversation with a text message. Roxas stared down at his phone, eyes zooming over the text.

_Sweetie, come home. I need help with something. Please be home in about 30 minutes, love ya. :]_

"Sorry about that, my mom texted me. I need to go home, thanks for paying even if it was sorta your fault." Roxas rambled as he jogged towards the exit. "Thanks Alex." Then, Roxas left the parlor.

"Wow, he got my name wrong after I bought him a popsicle. Man, that sucks." The redhead mumbled, shaking his head, before exiting the parlor to walk towards his home.

* * *

Roxas reached his home in about twenty minutes, knocking on the front door, waiting for his mother to let him in. Shelbie answered the door with a smile as she ushered Roxas in. After Roxas entered the presence of his cozy home, he turned to face his mother with a curious gaze.

"So, what do you need help with? Is dad home from the business trip, yet?" Roxas questioned.

"James will be home tomorrow, I called you here for a completely different reason." Roxas's mother said, hazel eyes staring straight towards Roxas's blue eyes.

Roxas furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "What's the reason?"

"Have you noticed the moving van down the block? Well, it seems like someone moved into the neighborhood."

"Yeah, what do I have to do with this?" Roxas asked, not looking very amused.

"Well, we're going to welcome into the neighborhood with my cookies. It's always nice to be on friendly terms with people you live around." Roxas looked at his mother, his face blank.

"I repeat, what do I have to do with this? You can go alone.." Roxas muttered, voice a bit rough.

"The reason that you're involved in this is because we actually know the person moving in. Do you remember Axel?" Shelbie asked, smile engraved on her face. Roxas frowned, a bit puzzled.

"Umm, no? Am I supposed to remember him?" Roxas questioned, face scrunched up in confusion.

Roxas's mother clucked in apparent disapproval. "You know, the kid next door, they moved out about ten years ago? Remember?"

Roxas's look of confusion soon dissolved into a look of disgust. Roxas recalled the fat kid, who he spent most of his time with because his mother had insisted on it. A scowl appeared on Roxas's face as he muttered in repulsion. "Oh, him? Mom, I really don't want to go with you to meet him. Can't I just meet him another time?" A pout appeared on the blond-haired teen as he tried to persuade his mother.

"No, we're going to visit him together and treat him with kindness." Shelbie said firmly, before walking to the kitchen counter to grab the wrapped chocolate-chip cookies she had baked.

"Ugh, fine."

Roxas sighed, a thoughtful look to his face as his mother locked the front door. They walked towards the owned house in silence, leaving Roxas to think about the kid he had bullied in his younger days. _He's probably still a weirdo. I wonder if he's still freaking obese, his face must have so many zits. He must be an idiot for moving back into the neighborhood where I bullied him. Well, whatever, I won't agree to do anything regarding him after this._

"We're here! I sorta wonder how he looks after so many years?" Shelbie whispered in glee. Roxas made a face, wanting to get this over with. Roxas's mother walked to the door and knocked as Roxas stayed off the side, hoping not to be seen. After a few moments, the door creaked open.

"Oh gosh, hello! Axel, do you remember me? You look so much older." Roxas heard his mother asked in excitement.

"Uhh, no? Are you that old woman I met the other day?" A familiar voice spoke from the door. Roxas frowned, a bit confused at how familiar it sounded.

"Haha no, your sense of humor definitely improved after the years. It's me Shelbie or if you must, Mrs. Hayes. Roxas's mother?" She uttered.

A silence filled the air and after a paused moment, the voice spoke, "R-Roxas? Oh.. Yeah, I remember."

"He's right here with me right now, actually. Roxas, come here." After a few seconds, Roxas made no clear sign of walking towards Axel's sight of view so Shelbie stepped over to grab Roxas's arm. Roxas grunted, stumbling over his feet before reaching the spot his mother was previously on. Sighing, Roxas rose his cerulean blue eyes to meet shocked neon green eyes. Roxas froze as he recognized the figure to be the one he had met at the ice cream parlor.

_**FUCK!**_

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sorta actually winging this but I do have some things planned. I hope you guys enjoy it. Plus, feel free to review or criticize me on a few things. I was never the best in English class, lol.**_


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Roxas paused, flabbergasted, as his eyes roamed across the body in front of him in shock. Not knowing what to do, Roxas took a step back, bumping into his mom with a surprised cry. Then, the blond turned to face his mother, taking note of the confusion etched on her face. Shelbie frowned, not pleased with her son's reaction, before touching his shoulder slightly.

"Roxas, what's wrong? You're making things a bit awkward here. Greet Axel, it's been a while since we've seen him." Shelbie said, an apologetic smile directed towards Axel. The redhead relaxed, a bit tense, before placing a strained smile in return.

"Do you guys want to come in? Feel free to walk in to talk, it's a bit dark outside, not really the best place to hold a conversation.." Axel offered, trying to be polite. Roxas's mother nodded in gratitude before walking towards the house.

"Axel..?" Roxas voiced out, blue eyes harsh. Shelbie paused, turning her attention towards her son while Axel flickered his emerald green eyes towards Roxas's eyes with hesitation. "That's not Axel.. It can't be.. Axel was fat, ugly, weird and most of all, he was a creep.." Roxas whispered with disbelief. Axel widened his eyes in surprise before a bitter look overcame his features. Shelbie gasped, shell-shocked, before reaching over to grip Roxas's arm in a harsh grip.

"I will not tolerate this behavior from you, got it?" The mother demanded before turning towards Axel. "Sorry, I don't know why Roxas is acting the way he is. Teenager stuff I guess. Are we still invited into your house, I'll understand if you don't want to?"

"No it's fine, you're always invited Mrs. Hayes, no matter what." Axel said, putting on a polite façade before stepping aside. Shelbie smiled, a bit relieved before walking into the redhead's house. Roxas stayed, planted to his spot, not moving as he observed the ruby redhead. Axel paused, looking at Roxas, before an agitated voice spilled out from his throat, "Well, are you coming in? I'm not waiting all night out here, hurry up before I decide to slam the door in front of your face."

Roxas stared, astonished from the strange attitude Axel was showing before nodding timidly. "Y-yeah, I'm coming.." Roxas croaked out, walking towards the door, stumbling. Axel watched Roxas, eyes filled with curiosity, as he watched the blond enter his house. Sighing a little, Axel closed the door before leading the pair of guests to the diner table laid out besides the kitchen.

"Wow, what a wonderful house you have here. How did you pay for this?" Shelbie voiced, brown eyes growing wide. Roxas looked around, taking in the sight of unpacked boxes, white walls, and the size of the small house.

Axel grinned before answering, "Yeah, it's a pretty nice house for someone like me. Totally different than the one I used to live in with my parents around here, now that was a whole lot bigger. My parents helped me with everything, so it's all good. They're a bit rich, owning a company."

Roxas scoffed, rolling his eyes before muttering, "More like filthy rich.." Axel and Shelbie carried on with the conversation, seemingly not noticing the statement that had spilled out from the bored blond.

"Amazing. It must be incredibly thrilling to move out. So, why did you decide to come here?" Shelbie questioned, simply curious as to why Axel would want to return.

"Yeah, why did you? I don't reckon you wanted to come here to rekindle the amazing bond we used to share." Roxas stated dully, sarcasm dripping from his voice. Axel eyes locked onto cerulean eyes, a bit skeptical, before answering the mother's question.

"Well, I already decided I wanted to go to a college around this general area. So, why not spend my last year of high school near here as well?" Axel responded. Shelbie smiled in response.

"That's a bit unusual, why not come here when it's time for college?" Shelbie asked. Roxas frowned, a bit puzzled as to why Axel would want to move out earlier. "What high school are you planning to go to, Axel?"

"I just wanted to tackle my own responsibilities as soon as I turned 18 so I decided to move here. I'm also planning on going to Oblivion High School for the remaining time." Axel answered, a bit quietly. Roxas paled, recognizing the name of the school to be his.

"Oblivion High School? That's the one Roxas goes to, isn't it? This is great, Roxas can show you around the school whenever you start." Shelbie exclaimed, joy shining in her eyes.

"...Yeah.." Axel replied, voice going flat. Roxas went silent, face entirely unamused.

"I mean you guys were friends in the early days, right?" Shelbie said, features turning worried. Roxas flinched in surprise, as he heard Axel give off a harsh, sharp laugh.

"Yeah, we were, the best of friends." Axel cackled, totally amused, facing Roxas with a devilish smirk. Roxas stared at the redhead, a bit baffled, as he furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment.

"Oh that's good.. You know, it's been about ten years since I've seen you and your looks have changed, it's amazing! I almost didn't recognize you." The blonde mother complimented, eyes taking in the view.

"Thanks." Axel said. Roxas shuffled around in his seat, slightly tired, mostly bored of hearing the conversation.

"Well then, we should get going, and welcome to the neighborhood. Oh, and before I forget, I made some cookies for you." Shelbie said, placing the chocolate chip cookies on top of Axel's large, slender hands. "I also need to use the restroom, if that's okay?"

"Right down this hall, second door to the right." Axel pointed out, giving instructions. With that, the mother disappeared. Roxas frowned, a bit uncomfortable as he stared at this hands. Axel shifted in his chair as he stayed silent, occasionally glancing at Roxas. Discomfort rolled around in Roxas's stomach before he decided to break the tense atmosphere.

"So.. When are you starting school..? Aren't you a senior?" Roxas questioned as nervous butterflies shuffled around his stomach. Axel stared ahead, not glancing at Roxas as he answered.

"Monday, and yeah, I'm a senior.." Roxas gulped, not knowing what else to say as the conversation died off. A few seconds went by before Axel started a new conversation.

"You know, I'm kinda surprised.." Roxas's head shot up, eyes previously focused on playing with his thumbs, before placing his attention on Axel. Axel paused, acidic green eyes staring directly onto Roxas's soft blue eyes. "I came back here, wondering when I might meet you, but I didn't expect to meet you in the first twenty-four hours time period." Axel murmured, shaking his slim head to the side. "I also returned to this place, hoping for some bad karma to befall you.."

"I don't really get what you mean," Roxas scowled, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What were you expecting, to find me dead and ten feet underground..?"

Axel snickered, "Oh god no, I was wondering if your looks have changed. If you got what you deserved, you know? Zits?! Chubby?! Hell, maybe a huge ugly scar?" Axel stopped chuckling, face darkening, "But no, you haven't changed one bit.. If anything, you look entirely the same just like how you did ten years ago. It's all there, the baby face, baby blue eyes and your typical scruffy, blond hair."

Roxas glanced away, a bit offended, before muttering, "Then, how come you didn't recognize me in that ice cream parlor if I looked entirely the same? If I was no different? Hell, I even ordered the same damn sea-salt ice cream bar."

"Hmm, maybe I didn't want to believe it?" Axel smirked before leaning forward, and whispering, "Did you recognize me? I mean it must be easy recognizing a friend, right?" Roxas gulped, throat growing dry, as he looked at Axel's flawless face and spiky flaming hair.

"You're completely different... How would I even recognize you, you're like a completely new person.. But you know what? That'll never matter to me because you'll always be a cr-" Roxas stilled, hearing his mother's footsteps. Axel leaned back, a content expression laid upon his face.

"Roxas! You ready to leave?" Shelbie announced, walking up to the front door. Roxas rose from his chair quickly, trudging towards his mother as fast as he can. Axel trailed quickly behind, prepared to say 'goodbye.'

"It's been a pleasure having you here, Mrs. Hayes." Axel said firmly, shaking her hand gently. Shelbie smiled gently, pleased.

"It's been an amazing time, Axel," Shelbie replied, nudging Roxas. Roxas blinked, bringing his face upwards to the redhead. Axel stared, face blank, before putting his hand out with a small smile.

"It's been nice, seeing you here again." Axel said tenderly. Roxas felt his face reddened as Axel smile sincerely.

"Y-yeah.." Roxas stammered, feeling his heart quicken, as he shook the redhead's hand. Axel grinned, clearly amused before waving a goodbye.

"Well, that sure went well," The mother murmured before walking towards their home. Roxas trailed behind, lost in thought as Shelbie talked on and on about various subjects. They soon reached their home with Roxas rushing to his room with a door slam.

* * *

Roxas laid in bed, slightly drowsy from the day. It was now **11:27** and he couldn't drift off to sleep. He had skipped dinner, giving off the excuse of not being hungry. His blond, messy hair was still damp from the long shower he had taken about an hour ago. He rolled over, sighing, before moving around in his bed. Roxas grumbled, annoyed that he had skipped out from eating as his stomach growled. Shaking it off, Roxas reached over for his iPhone before placing on headphones. Relaxing a little, Roxas shuffled through the songs before finding a suitable one to listen to.

Humming, Roxas closed his eyes, thinking over the day. He smiled, happy from the time he had spent with Sora, Riku and Kairi before pausing, blue eyes flickering open as he realized he had forgotten to contact Hayner that day. Blue eyes shut in annoyance, before giving off a groan and a 'whatever.' Then, Roxas diverted his thoughts to the spiky redhead he had met today. He scoffed, not pleased of his thoughts before turning over once more, attempting to doze off.

* * *

Yawning, Roxas rose up from his bed. His nose twitched, smelling the delicious aroma of pancakes, bacon and toast. Roxas stumbled out of his room, feeling his stomach growl. Placing a tired smile, Roxas walked down the stairs and into the dining room, expecting to see his mom eating.

"Mom, did you make sure to add the bu- ... oh.." Roxas croaked, rubbing his eyes tiredly when he was bombarded with the sight of a redheaded figure. Axel turned to face Roxas, eyes shining in delight. Moaning in horror, Roxas walked to the dining table, taking a seat across Axel.

Roxas groaned, a bit drowsy, before asking, "So.. Where's my mom?"

Axel raised an eyebrow, before answering, "She told me she had to leave for work early... Well, aren't you rather docile today?" Axel said, amazed that Roxas hadn't attacked him with insults.

Roxas gazed at Axel, a bit weary, "Why the hell are you here?"

"Your mom invited me here, wasn't that obvious?"

"..."

Roxas sighed, before grabbing a few pancakes and bacon to place on his plate. The pair ate in silence as Roxas stared down at his food, absent-mindedly, while Axel scarfed down his food in a rush. After finishing all his food, Axel started a staring contest with Roxas's face. Agitated, Roxas stabbed his fork into his pancake, annoyance growing at Axel's undivided attention towards him. Cursing silently, Roxas flicked his head up, glaring into amused, green orbs.

"Keep your fucking eyes off of me! If you're done stuffing food down your throat, you might as well trot your skinny ass home! I'll be pleased to kick your ass out of my home." Roxas hissed, eyes narrowing in irritation. Axel burst out laughing, before rising up.

"I guess I might as well do that.. Before you decide to kick my ass home." Axel responded, striding down the room towards the front door. Roxas frowned, before rising up from his chair to follow Axel.

"Hmm.." Axel hummed, deep in thought. "Well, tell your mom thanks for the breakfast she laid out for our lovely date. The food tasted lovely, though it would've probably tasted better if you fed it to me."

Roxas looked unamused. "Well, in my opinion, you shouldn't come back into our house for any reason at all. I would also be pleased to shove the food up your ass as well."

"Wow, aren't you kinky? That hurts, you'll always be welcomed to my house though, baby." Axel purred, voice deepening. Roxas scrunched his face in repulsion before shoving Axel out the door. Axel turned around, giving off a seductive smile, grinning wider as he watched Roxas grow red in the face.

"What's wrong, honey? You want to-"

"You're a hoe.." Roxas stated dully, before slamming the door in front of his face. Roxas scowled, hearing Axel hoot with laughter from behind the door before footsteps dissolve from the door. Roxas shook his head in disbelief, feeling the goosebumps from Axel's "dirty talk."

"UGH! WHAT THE FUCK?" Roxas shouted, frustrated before cleaning the mess on the table. After he finished, Roxas entered his room, slumping down on his bed. Lying down, Roxas spent his entire afternoon lazing around, thinking of a certain redhead.

* * *

**Oh gosh, thanks for all the people who reviewed, favorite, or etc. I appreciate it so much, like seriously.. These chapters are probably really short, like really short but I'm updating like every 2-3 days so hopefully, it's no problem. Though, I return to school next week so I might be posting once a week then but longer, possibly.**

**And really, I'm so tired, writing takes a lot of time and I didn't really expected to like it as much as I do. I usually enjoy reading more. So, if there are a few mistakes in this, or it doesn't make any sense at all, I'm so sorry. I'll probably read back and fix it later. I'm too exhausted and lazy to read back right now.**

**Regarding this fic, it probably seems like nonsense.. At least to me, hahaha. But I'm really wishing it's enjoyable, and I'm also hoping to improve my writing as well. I was intending to make this a bit longer too but I didn't succeed, sorry.. My A/N seems longer.**

**BUT REALLY, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING, THANKS! So, see you in the next chapter! :D**


	4. Chapter 3

**3rd Chapter**

* * *

"Hey buddy," Hayner whispered, nudging Roxas's shoulder softly. Roxas turned back to see Hayner sitting on the desk behind him. The blond teen rubbed his eyes tiredly, before addressing his friend.

"Hi..." Roxas replied, too exhausted to say anymore. Today was a Monday, a school day, where students are jammed into a classroom to learn. After his unfortunate Sunday morning with Axel, he spent most of his Sunday sleeping, relaxing and working on his school assignments. Even though he was ready for school, Roxas was definitely not the person who was enthusiastic about doing work.

Roxas laid back into his chair, slightly relaxing. Soon, he tensed up, hearing the bell pierce his ears. Eardrums ringing, Roxas looked to the front, only to see his teacher enter the room. Braig Xigbar was Roxas's World History teacher for his first period class. Mr. Xigbar sported light gold eyes, elf-like ears, and dark hair with several grey streaks tied into a ponytail. He also had a black eyepatch attached to his right eye, along with a large, jagged scar extending from his left cheek to just under his left eye. Mr. Xigbar had an extremely laid-back and cocky attitude, spewing sarcastic remarks most of the time, having no sympathy towards the students at all. Roxas absolutely disliked the teacher for his attitude and came to the conclusion the teacher despised teaching the students anything worth learning.

"Morning students, I assume you guys had an amazing weekend because mine was absolutely horrifying." Mr. Xigbar said, rolling his eyes before moving on to the subject. The teacher grinned maliciously before speaking, "Well, take out your homework. It's due today, anything after today is a zero."

Roxas paled, eyes clouded with confusion, not understanding the words spewing out of his teacher's mouth. He wasn't aware of any paperwork assigned the last time he was at school. Roxas turned around, hoping to see some clarification from his friend but Hayner only shrugged, looking puzzled. The students started whispering, before a student decided to address the matter.

"Umm, what homework?" Roxas recognized the person to be Selphie, with short brown hair slightly curled upwards, green eyes and a girly attitude. She gazed up at the teacher, a strained smile on her face. Mr. Xigbar sighed, looking upset as he crossed his arms, tapping his foot calmly.

"The paper you guys failed to complete on Friday based on the video we watched. Remember?"

"That was a grade?" Selphie squeaked, looking mortified along with the rest of the class. Roxas groaned, not happy with what he was hearing.

"Yeah, it was," Mr. Xigbar said, before walking across the class to pick up the homework. After picking up the uncompleted homework, Xigbar finally reached Roxas's desk where he stopped moving down the row. Roxas stiffened, looking up to see the golden-eyed teacher staring at him. Xigbar's mouth curled into a cruel smile as he gazed down at Roxas, towering above him.

"Kiddo, even you didn't finished? How unexpected from one of the top students.." Mr. Xigbar lectured, shaking his head in mock disappointment. Roxas glared at the teacher, annoyed for multiple reasons. One, he hated the one-eyed teacher's attitude and two, he despised being called a child.. Xigbar chuckled at the blond before moving to the front of the classroom to grab a stack of papers lying on top of his desk.

"Well, since none of you guys even bothered with the work, why not start a pop quiz right now, to make up for the homework?" Mr. Xigbar said, a slight cold smile on his face before passing out papers. Roxas moaned, feeling a headache starting.

_This morning is not going well._

* * *

"ROXAS!" The blond twisted around, hearing his name. He turned to find Sora running towards his direction so he slowed down until Sora was right beside him. The two normally walked to Health class together since they both shared the elective. Walking in silence, they finally reached the desired classroom, trudging towards their seats. Sitting in his seat, Roxas immediately planted his face into his desk, hoping to doze off before the bell rings. Sora shuffled around in his seat, next to Roxas, looking at him for a brief second before taking out his phone to play some games. A few minutes passed by before the tardy bell finally blared. Roxas drifted off, feeling content as the teacher's words ringing softly in the background. Soon, the teacher muttered something Roxas couldn't comprehend in his current drowsy state.

"You can sit behind Roxas... Roxas, please raise your hand?" A harsh kick to his leg indicated him to wake up. Roxas abruptly rose his head, shooting a dark look towards Sora, who only grinned sheepishly. Roxas raised his hand up, rubbing his leg before looking to the front of the room, relaxing his face into a small smile until a sight suddenly turned his smile upside down. Besides the teacher was Axel, looking at Roxas with a dull expression. Roxas inhaled sharply, feeling venomous green eyes piercing into his skull.

"Class, this is Axel, please welcome him." The teacher introduced, briefly looking at Axel before jotting something down onto the white board.

Roxas stayed quiet while the class chanted, "Hello Axel.." Axel nodded slightly in response, before striding down the class to plop down behind Roxas. The students eyes followed Axel, astounded by the spiky, flaming hair, jaded green eyes, and lean, tall figure while Roxas stilled, feeling the redhead's presence, unsure whether to greet Axel or not. After a moment of thinking, Roxas turned around, decision clear, feeling Sora's prying sky blue eyes and Axel's curious stare.

"Why are you in this class?" Roxas questioned, hands tightening up into fists in nervousness. Axel shifted in his seat, staying silent for a few seconds before speaking.

"I need it for a credit.." Axel stated, seemingly bored with talking as he took out a piece of paper to doodle on. Roxas quickly peered towards Sora, who was gazing at Roxas with interest as he strained to listen.

"Oh.." Roxas grew quiet, not quite sure what to say anymore. "Well.. Welcome to Health class.." Roxas said out of sheer politeness, despite not liking the redhead very much. Axel rose his emerald green eyes to meet blue eyes before nodding, not bothering to respond. Feeling ignored, Roxas turned his eyes towards the front of the class, wondering what brought a change into the redhead's attitude.

* * *

After class, lunch was finally present. Roxas scanned the cafeteria, before walking towards his table. Everyone he ate with was already there, with Hayner stuffing chips down his throat while Olette talked with Pence. Roxas slid next to Hayner, taking out a sandwich to eat. Olette, who was chatting intensely with Pence, suddenly turned to Roxas with a lighthearted smile.

"Hey Roxas, it's been two days but it feels like forever to me," Olette voiced, exaggerating. Roxas stared at her, rolling his eyes in amusement.

"Sure.."

"I'm totally serious," Olette insisted, eyes widening as she tried to convince Roxas.

"Sure, you are.." Roxas replied, not believing one word coming out of the brunette's mouth.

"On a totally new subject.." Olette clapped her hands, gaining the attention of Hayner and Pence. Olette leaned in closer, mouth curling, before whispering, "Have you heard about the new student, I heard he was a complete hottie."

Roxas frowned, expression restrained, while facing Olette with a questionable gaze. "What? Where did you hear that from?" The blond said softly, eyes staring with concealed anticipation.

"I said he was sexy, Roxas, I saw him in the hallways and plus, Namine told me about him. Jeez, you need to get a hearing aid." Olette teased, flicking Roxas's nose. Roxas grabbed his nose, grumbling quietly before Hayner wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"Do you want to know who I think is seeeexy?" Hayner uttered, face turning cheery. Roxas looked at Hayner blankly, already knowing the answer.

"Who?" Roxas responded in a dull tone.

"Namine, oh god, she's so freaking hot and man, I bet she has the biggest crush on you dude.." Hayner said, face morphing into false scorn towards Roxas. Pence's face broke out into a mischievous grin.

"Do you like her, Roxas? You're practically blushing everytime you're next to her and she practically does the same exact thing." Pence said as Olette giggled loudly.

"No, I don't, please shut up..." Roxas shot back, feeling his cheeks warm up in embarrassment.

"Oh my gosh, you're blushing, how cute. Namine would definitely want to see this." Olette joked, smile turning into a grin as she caught sight of Roxas's reaction. "You know, I have heard Namine talked about you, she said that you were-"

"Hayner, change the subject!" Roxas demanded, face completely red, interrupting before Olette can finish the sentence. Olette broke out into a pout, crossing her arms in a child-like stance.

"Okay, fine I will...Guys, did you know what Seifer did last week? He's such a dick, I can't believe he would do that..." Hayner interjected, voice lowering, as his eyes turned serious. Pence angrily frowned, replying to what Hayner said with agreement. Roxas listened to the conversation for a few minutes, absent-mindedly, before standing up.

"I'm going to the bathroom.." Roxas said, interrupting the conversation, before walking away to find an exit. Roxas trudged through the crowded cafeteria, looking around before catching sight of Sora, Kairi, and Riku talking amongst themselves while eating. Ignoring the sight, Roxas left the lunchroom, striding down the hallways of his school. Right before he was about to enter the bathroom, the sight of a redhead made him stop his tracks.

There Axel was, skinny frame leaning against the glass doors outside, backside facing Roxas. He was in the courtyard, talking to a senior, smoking on a cigarette. Roxas stared, blue eyes studying Axel's hand as it brought the cigarette towards his mouth. Axel took a long drag, before exhaling, laughing along to the blond senior besides him. Roxas observed, looking out the window and doors, as the pair talked and chuckled together. A few moments passed before the blond senior decided to leave, rotating around before entering the school. Roxas stood there, making awkward eye contact to the person he actually recognized. The senior was Demyx, a goofy blonde-haired guy he didn't know much about except for the fact that he was practically the school's outcast, among many others. It was only a few seconds before Demyx completely left his vision of sight, not bothering to gaze at Roxas.

Roxas turned his attention towards Axel, who did not move from his spot. Roxas moved towards the door, not thinking, before opening the door next to the one Axel was next to. Axel immediately froze up, looking quite startled before emerald, green eyes locked onto the pale face of the blond. Axel only seemed more disturbed when he learned who the person was. Frowning, Roxas scrutinized Axel, not bothering to start a conversation. A moment of silence passed before Axel realized Roxas wasn't going to start talking.

"What're you doing here?" Axel voiced gruffly, dropping the cigarette before stomping on it. Roxas frowned, observing Axel's face before replying.

"I don't know, just felt like getting some fresh air.. How about you, what are you doing out here?" Roxas said quietly, placing his hands into his pockets, a bit chilly.

"I needed a smoke.."

"Oh.. Shouldn't you be eating?" Roxas questioned, being careful not to let any disdain slip through his voice.

"I wasn't hungry." Axel frowned, eyes narrowing in annoyance at the blond. Roxas stayed silent, not knowing what to say. Axel stood there stiffly while Roxas leaned against the door, relaxed, eyes slowly turning cold before addressing the questions filled in his mind.

"Why are you like that?" The blond shuffled, questioning Axel, looking thoughtful.

"Like what?" Green eyes were filled with confusion as he counteracted back with a question.

"You're acting weird.. You're cold today and you acted.. different yesterday. It's strange, are you bipolar or something?" Roxas said, lips pursed as an eyebrow arched upwards.

Axel scoffed before replying, "I should've figured you loved being flooded with cheesy pick-up lines, do you really want me to treat you like I did yesterday? I mean, I thought you would've appreciated me acting as if I didn't know you while we're at school, seeing as how I'm such a creep.. But if you really, really want it then..?" Axel paused, grinning widely before moving his face closer to Roxas, who took a step back, with a curious look.

"Hey baby," Axel purred, eyes shining, "you must be a light switch, cuz every time I see you, you turn me on!" Roxas raised an eyebrow, not impressed with the corny pick-up line. Axel halted, not content with the expression on Roxas's face before giving another try.

"If you were a booger, I'd pick you first." Roxas scrunched his face in disgust as he gave Axel a look as if to say 'Really?' Axel shrugged, before attempting again.

"No wonder the sky is grey today, all the blue is in your eyes," Axel huskily whispered, gazing deeply into light, blue eyes. Roxas grew flustered, before opening his mouth in attempt to say something.

"Hey, you-"

"Hey baby, you're so fine you make me stutter, wh-wh-what's your number?" Axel winked, blowing a kiss towards the embarrassed blond. Roxas growled, growing irritated, as his cheeks grew red.

"Are you a thief because my heart seems-"

"Shut your mouth." Roxas interrupted, looking impatient as he tapped his foot against the ground. Axel frowned, upset he was interrupted. "I am now convinced you're insane, I'm leaving." With that, Roxas turned to the door, leaving Axel.

"Well, see ya later, love ya too." Axel yelled before relaxing, a bit tense from the encounter. Axel rubbed his hands together, a bit sweaty from being nervous. Playful, green eyes slowly turned a bit duller and sharper as he was left alone with his thoughts. After a few minutes, the bell rang sharply, Axel soon left, a soft frown engraved deeply into his face as he walked towards his next class.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry, this took a while, school's a bit busy. Updates might be slow, not too slow though. Oh, the second half of the school day is going to be next chapter too.**

**Also, thank you for the reviews, or etc, I appreciate it.**


	5. Chapter 4

**4th Chapter**

* * *

Roxas moaned in satisfaction when the bell rang, allowing him to exit the worst class of the day, Algebra 2. Even though math was disgustingly horrible, his last class definitely made up for the nightmare that ensued in math class. Placing a small smile, Roxas walked to Art, one of his favorite classes of the year. Roxas was by no means an artistic person, nor did he care for the people in the class. But if there's anything he enjoyed in that class, it was the cute, sweet blond girl who sits right next to him, Namine.

Despite denying any interest in her, Roxas had spent most of his Art time staring at Namine, getting flustered whenever they made eye contact. After their eyes would meet, she would give off an adorable giggle and smile warmly, which would usually set his heart racing and a big silly smile placed on his face. The best part was the possibility she liked him back, the thought of it would make Roxas grin like a fool. Hayner, Pence and Olette had teased Roxas countless of times when they learned about his crush, though Hayner would usually tease him with an envious scowl. Even with the accusations, Roxas would turn away, denying any feelings towards the blond-haired angel.

Feeling a bit anxious, Roxas walked a bit quicker to the class, his face filled with concealed excitement and a small blush. After pushing past the crowded halls, Roxas finally reached the classroom, before hastily opening the door. Looking inside the room, his face fell into a disappointed frown when he didn't see Namine in her usual seat which was odd because she normally arrived earlier than Roxas.

Roxas trudged to his seat, staring at the door with anticipation, as he waited for a certain girl to walk in. The door finally opened, revealing the blond artist, walking in with her white clothes. She was laughing, talking to someone outside the door, before stepping aside to let them in. Roxas stared intensely at the door, curious to see who made Namine laugh, before the figure walked in.

Roxas blinked once, then twice as his mouth opened as if to say 'oh.' The person who had walked in was Axel, the flirting machine. He strode in, pausing at the door to crack a joke with Namine, who let out an amused giggle. Roxas scowled, before looking away while shrinking in his chair, hoping not to be noticed.

"-You can sit with me, Axel." Namine softly said, grabbing Axel's lanky arm before pulling him aside. Roxas scrunched his nose, not content with what he was hearing. "Here, you can sit right beside me. Oh, hey Roxas!"

Roxas stared as Axel whipped his eyes towards Roxas, taken aback. Sighing at the reaction, Roxas gave Axel a warning look before placing a bright smile towards Namine's direction, waving. "Hey Namine!"

Namine slightly flushed at the smile before turning to Axel with a happy look. "This is Roxas, he's a good friend of mine. Roxas, this is Axel, and he has a few classes with me so I'm showing him around the school."

"That's so sweet of you to be showing him around Namine," Namine giggled at the compliment, turning red while Roxas place on a goofy grin, before turning his attention towards Axel. "Hey, it's nice to meet you, Axel. I'm Roxas, as Namine had mentioned, I hope we get along well."

Axel narrowed his eyes in thought, glancing back and forth between Roxas and Namine, frowning. "Yeah... It's nice to meet you too, Roxas." Axel quietly said, before taking a seat besides Namine. Roxas frowned at Axel's behavior, gazing at him from across the table before continuing on with the conversation, acting as if he had never met the redhead.

"So.. Axel, right?" Roxas questioned, faking an interested face. Axel rolled his eyes, before muttering a "yes."

"Why are you in art, you sure don't look like the artistic type?"

"You sure ask a lot of questions, Roxas.." Axel replied, crossing his arms as he slinked back into his chair. Roxas glared at him, not liking the way Axel was talking to him. Feeling deadly blue eyes, Axel began to smile slowly, before winking at the blond, whose face grew red in anger as he began to reply.

"For your information, I only asked two ques-"

"Roxas," A mellow voice spoke, making Roxas face the blond artist. Namine sweetly smiled at Roxas, which caused Roxas to flush in embarrassment , before placing her eyes on Axel, a teasing twinkle in her eyes. "Artistic? I bet a person with insanely bright, ruby hair like Axel has to be expressive or creative in some way, right?"

Roxas blinked, before placing his focus onto Axel's ruby hair, studying it closely with an intense look. Axel's flaming, red hair has been through a huge change since his childhood memories. Instead of the short, buzz-cut looking red hair Axel used to have, his flaming, thick shoulder-length hair was now styled into slicked-back spikes. His eyes soon trailed down to Axel's face, where his cheekbones stood out and his green eyes shined brightly. Roxas scrunched his face in thought, remembering the nerdy glasses that used to cover Axel's jaded eyes. A cough from Axel interrupted Roxas from his train of thought. Shaking his head, Roxas placed his attention on Axel and Namine, noticing the slight blush on Axel's face and the interested gleam on Namine's face.

"Sorry, I was just starting to realize Axel's bizarre red hair." Roxas apologized, a bit uncomfortable. "But yeah, I guess I have to agree with you Namine. Someone with insane looking hair like that has to be quite artsy." Namine softly laughed, as Axel sat still, looking flustered.

"Did you dye your hair, Axel? I don't think I've ever seen anyone with such a bright-colored hair, even if they dyed it." Namine asked, a huge smile on her face, directed towards Axel. Roxas's friendly smile began to lower, feeling his stomach growl in envy at the smile Axel received from the blond angel.

"Namine," Roxas interrupted, "It's not like nobody has red hair, I mean seriously, Kairi has red hair too."

"Kairi's hair is auburn, but Axel's hair is a real bright red, that's a pretty big difference." Namine replied, giving a slight giggle when Roxas rolled his eyes, huffing.

"I've never dyed my hair before so it's all natural." Axel interjected, answering Namine's previous question. Namine's blue eyes grew wide with amazement, looking intently at the hair.

Roxas scoffed. "I say his hair makes him look like a clown, with their weirdly colored wigs and stupid hairstyles. Just add some white paint to his face and voila, an Axel clown." Namine gasped, not looking pleased at the rude statement while Axel grinned at the insult, eyes shining with amusement.

"You know what you look like, Roxas?" Axel cooed, "You look as if you belong in those baby commercials, I swear you look exactly like those white, blue-eyed babies. With your big, baby blue eyes, squeezable cheeks, pale soft-looking skin, and short stature, you'd be perfect next to children. I bet nobody will ever be able to tell the age difference if you were to stand by them." Namine giggled, entertained by Axel's teasing, while Roxas scowled, glaring hard at Axel before opening his mouth to reply.

"I bet you-"

"Guys." Namine stood up. "We probably shouldn't be talking, let's get to work." Namine walked to grab the art supplies and the project she had been working on in a cabinet. Roxas stayed in his seat, scowling across at the delighted redhead before turning his head away, stomping angrily across the room to grab his art project. Upon sitting down, Roxas noticed the bright smile that Axel diverted towards Namine, as she instructed him what to do. Roxas softly frowned, feeling his heart clench in jealousy as he stared at the pair chatting..

* * *

When the bell rang for the final time that day, Roxas rushed out of the class in an abrupt manner, not wanting to be anywhere near Axel. Roxas had to admit that Art class had gone downhill from the moment Axel had entered the room. A horrible feeling clenched Roxas when he realized that Namine had not looked at him much today, her eyes only staring at Axel's figure for most of the period while Axel did the same, his attention focusing only to Namine. Roxas huffed, crossing his arms as he rushed out of the school.

Roxas stood near the exit, waiting for Hayner, Olette, and Pence to join him as students rushed passed him, excited to be leaving. After a few minutes had zoomed by, his group of friends had finally walked out, laughing and joking with each other. They soon reached Roxas, who placed on a small smile at the sight of his friends.

"Hi Roxas," Olette exclaimed, hugging Roxas. Feeling the warm hug, Roxas patted her back softly. All irritated thoughts Roxas felt vanished quickly as he felt a warm feeling spread though his chest. His friends had always gave him a sense of happiness and comfort whenever he was feeling bad, making Roxas appreciate them a whole lot more.

"Hey Olette," Roxas grinned at her before regarding the others with a nod. Hayner waved, moving in closer to whisper something into Roxas's ear.

"How was art class with Namine today? I bet she was freaking gorgeous, did you drool at the sight of her?" Hayner asked, grabbing Roxas by the arms before shaking him back and forth. Roxas shook his head, scowling before nudging the hands off from his arms.

"The same as always, except for the fact that the new student was there." Roxas frowned, before adding an afterthought. "I don't have a crush on Namine so therefore, I did not drool, you moron." Hayner laughed, wrapping an arm around Roxas.

"You're an awful liar, Roxas. You always blush around her so stop denying it," Roxas groaned as Hayner rambled on. A smirk had grown on the three faces, making Roxas slowly start to grow red with embarrassment.

"You're even growing red right now, jeez.." Pence interjected, laughing at the sight of his friend. Roxas grew even redder, before scoffing while turning away.

"Hey, hey, hey, Roxas!" Olette waved her hands across Roxas's face, trying to grab his attention. Blinking, Roxas nodded, letting Olette know he was paying attention. "You mentioned a new student in your art class, right? Is it that hot guy? The one with insane looking red hair? Green stunning eyes? A very sexy body? It's that guy, right?" Roxas stared at her, overwhelmed by her ranting before frowning.

"Yeah, that's him.. Why does it matter?" Roxas softly asked, trying to look uninterested. Olette grinned widely, before waving her arms around in exaggeration.

"Because he's freaking hot! People were talking about him all day today! Namine also talked about him, she even admitted he had crazy good looks."

"It sounds all the girls are swooning at the sight of him. Haha, you better put on your game mode Roxas." Pence said, eyes gleaming with curiosity.

"Game mode? Why?" Roxas mumbled, feeling uneasy.

"Are you asking why?" Hayner rolled his eyes before slapping Roxas across the back, startling him. "Because he'll steal your woman."

Roxas grew irritated, feeling jealousy run through him. "Namine is not my woman, I don't even like her in that way. The new guy isn't even all that too."

Olette gasped, hand grasping her heart mockingly. "Whaaat? The new guy isn't all that? What is wrong with you, Roxas? Everyone knows that he's sexy, how could you not agree? He's gorgeous, and he can be- oh.."

"Why did you stopped talking about your future hus- oh..." Roxas glanced behind him, only to find a body towering over him, green eyes sparkling with amusement. Axel stood there, arms crossed, a smug look planted on his gracious features.

"Umm, were you talking about me?" Axel questioned, an eyebrow arched upwards as a delighted smirk begin to twist upwards. Olette stilled, a flush spreading through her cheeks as her eyes flashed across Axel's body.

"N-n-no, n-not really.." Olette stammered, taking a step back to stand besides Hayner and Pence.

"Sure," Axel said, voice filled with sarcasm as his eyes flickered towards the three friends before focusing on to Roxas. Roxas shifted around, feeling awkward as green eyes observed him. After a few seconds of silence, Roxas cracked, feeling his heart beat uncontrollably from the intense stare.

"What?" Roxas snapped, azure eyes narrowing, impatient. The fierce look soon vanished from Axel, only to be replaced with a sheepish grin and a hand rushing through his hair. Roxas stared, irritated and curious as Axel shuffled around, looking nervous.

"Your mom, she told me to walk you home.." Axel murmured, looking incredibly tense. Roxas stilled, feeling multiple of curious eyes drilling into his back. Axel paused, eyes darting from Roxas to the floor before adding. "You don't have to.. It's all up to you.." Axel's voice cracked, making the redhead turn pink with embarrassment.

"My mom?" Roxas was about to decline, before a quick glance towards Axel changed his mind. The usually confident Axel was staring down, looking a bit timid, as his hands fumbled around with his shirt. Roxas sighed, turning towards his friends with an apologetic grin. They stared back, eyes shining with interest. Olette nodded her head, mouthing, 'tell us later' before tugging Hayner and Pence the opposite direction.

"Well, I guess I'm walking home with you," Roxas murmured, walking towards the sidewalk. Roxas glanced back, only to see Axel still standing in the same rigid position. "Are you even coming?" Axel blinked, shaking his head in disbelief before placing on a fat, big grin, jogging to the blond.

Roxas was feeling a bit puzzled about his relationship with Axel as he walked besides the redhead. Did he even despise the redhead? Without a doubt, he hated the redhead when he was younger, but how is it different from how's he acting now? Maybe Roxas's aggressive ways have changed since his early days, or maybe not... It's not like Roxas was attacking Axel with harsh words like he did before, right? But Roxas still did mock the redhead, even if it was a little tamed than before. Although, Axel's green eyes now gleamed with mirth instead of the scared look Roxas had received every time he threw an insult towards the redheaded child.

_Maybe it's his personality_... The redhead's timid, cowardly attitude has gone a long way since he had last seen him. The spineless child has finally grown a backbone, although, there were a few times where Axel seemed to slip into his young, nervous self again rather than the cocky, confident, flirtatious figure he had displayed today.

_Or maybe.._ Roxas mused.. _It's how he looks.. _Roxas thought back to the large, chunky kid Axel was. His viridescent green eyes were tiny, squished tightly by his fat cheeks and hidden behind geeky glasses. His hands were plump, looking like huge, pale sausages. He was unable to sit on a single chair, usually requiring two chairs to sit on, otherwise he would break the chair or fall off of it.

But now, it was different. Absent-mindedly, Roxas let his calm, blue eyes roam all over the tall, lanky figure. Axel was thin and his appearance was a major drastic change from before. His eyes were now bigger than before, making the once unnoticeable green eyes shine. His cheekbones were well-defined and his face looked as if it were to belong in a painting. The fat child has now grown taller than him, at least a good feet higher.

The two had been walking for at least five minutes, with Roxas deep in thought and Axel walking besides him, looking relaxed. Roxas appreciated the cool breeze and the silence for a minute before deciding to address the redhead trailing along.

"My mom.. Why did she asked you to walk home with me?" A calm expression crossed Roxas's face, as he breathed in deeply, feeling the cold wind brush against him. Axel slowed down, his head processing the words Roxas had mumbled before a small smile crossed his face.

"She didn't..." Axel looked at Roxas, eyes staring firmly on cerulean blue eyes. Roxas stilled, blinking in confusion as he faced Axel's gentle smile.

"She didn't?" Roxas softly questioned, eyebrows furrowed together as he tried to place the pieces together.

Axel grinned. "I wanted to be with you so I lied to you... And I'm really liking this walking thing so far." Roxas frowned, not able to muster any words or anger before nodding. The two fell quiet, as they moved along. Axel was beaming, a pleased smile etched on his face as they neared closer to their houses. Although Axel was satisfied with not talking, Roxas couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. He was itching to start another conversation. Roxas raced through his thoughts, trying to find a good start to a conversation.

"So, do you have someone you like?" Roxas blurted out, mentally slapping himself at how invasive he sounded. Axel stopped in his tracks, looking surprised while Roxas stood there looking a bit embarrassed. He had not meant to blurt it out like that. Roxas could only hope Axel didn't misinterpret his question. "I didn't mean it in _that_ way.."

Axel chuckled, with a lopsided grin. "That didn't make sense Roxas.. Did you mean the types of people I like?" Roxas nodded his head furiously, curious to know the answer to that as well. Axel grinned as he wracked through his brain, trying to find an answer. "Well," Axel started, "I really like people who are easy to talk too.. I don't really know.." Axel paused, face scrunching up in thought. "I guess I like people with blue eyes and blond hair.."

Roxas flushed, gazing at Axel with a blank stare while Axel looked back with captivating, green eyes that stared intensely into the blond. Shaking his head, Roxas glanced forward, walking a bit faster than he was before. Roxas didn't know how to respond but he finally managed to spew out a response.

"Blondes?" Roxas murmured. "Do you like someone like Demyx?" Roxas remembered the senior Axel had been chatting with earlier that day. Demyx had cyan eyes and dirty-blond mullet hair, pretty close to Axel's preference.

"Demyx? That guy?" Axel laughed, a comical expression laid out on his face as his body wracked with laughter. Roxas frowned, already knowing the answer before Axel decided to address the question. "Two words. Hell no.." After hearing the response, Roxas quickly rushed through his thoughts, trying to find another person who fit in the same category.

"How about Namine..?" Roxas hesitated, feeling his heart clench as he remembered the interaction between the two. Jealousy had spread throughout his body quickly, making Roxas feel disdain towards the redhead. Namine had talked to Axel, looking incredibly thrilled at every words that came out of the redhead's mouth while Axel just chuckled, looking just as delighted as Namine. The thought of it all made Roxas grit his teeth together, unsure whether he was resentful towards Namine or Axel. Deciding it was probably Axel's fault, mostly because he can never get mad at Namine, Roxas glowered at Axel. Axel halted, staring at the hard look Roxas placed on.

"Namine, I like her.. She's pretty too.." Roxas intensified his look, before turning away to glare daggers towards the concrete. "But I only like her as a friend." Hearing the words, Roxas began to calm down, anger disintegrating.

"What's up with the reaction? Do you have a crush on her?" Axel drawled out, a stiff smile placed on while curiosity glimmered from his eyes. Roxas scowled, glaring at the redhead.

"No, I do not.." Roxas growled, before changing the subject in a hurry. "Then, how bout me?" Axel blinked, face frozen before a lazy, cocky smirk appeared.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you?" Roxas reddened, hands clenching into fists. Axel's arrogant grin swiftly died down to a soft smile. "Just messing with you. Sure I like you, as a _friend_.." Axel teased, exaggerating at the word ''friend.'' Roxas almost believed the words, staring up at Axel's silly grin. But as soon as he gazed into Axel's piercing green eyes, Roxas stilled. Serious, dark emerald eyes studied him, looking for a reaction. Roxas briskly observed Axel's face before quickly glancing away.

Gulping, Roxas scanned ahead, finding Axel's house nearby. The two reached the house in a matter of seconds, with Axel strolling ahead. Axel unlocked the door, before peeking behind one last time.

"Bye-bye, Roooxas.." After the lazy slur of words and a wink, Axel slammed the door shut. Hearing the lock, Roxas began to trudge towards his house. Roxas frowned, eyes a bit hazy as he thought absent-mindedly. His suspicions were confirmed.. He had a feeling that Axel might have liked him more than a friend and with how he stared at him with solemn, earnest eyes, it was probably true. But Roxas couldn't find the urge to display any disgust towards Axel.

As he stepped on the porch of his house, Roxas came to the conclusion that he probably didn't mind it at all. If anything, he found himself strangely intrigued by the thought of Axel liking him, even if he was a little jealous of the redhead. With that last thought, he entered his house.

* * *

**I got tired towards the end, so it might be a bit sloppy or boring. I decided that after this chapter, I'll try not to write a lot about any school scenes, maybe outside. Also, I will try to find a place to end this fic. I do have some ideas planned so stay tuned. I might update once a week too.**


	6. Chapter 5

**5th Chapter**

* * *

After entering his home, Roxas had trudged towards his room to take a huge nap. A heavy weight Roxas wasn't aware of had disappeared from his chest, allowing him to relax for once. He had done some thinking and it was real _deep._ His thoughts jumped from school.. then his friends... then Namine... and then Axel. The redhead was only around for only about a few days but it had felt much longer. It was possibly due to the fact that Axel was constantly popping out of nowhere, talking to him. If anything, he probably saw the redheaded teen the most during his school time today.

Roxas tried to ignore him at first but it wasn't easy. His conscious kept whispering to him about taking action, and he was confused as to why he should even bother talking to the redhead. He was the redhead's childhood bully and there was no "sugarcoating" how he had acted towards the obese child. If anything, he intended to ignore Axel during school.

Maybe it was time to change his ways. Sure, Roxas was a rascal when he younger but that doesn't mean he couldn't treat Axel better. He came to the conclusion that maybe he should try to become friends with Axel, despite the uncomfortable tingling in his stomach. Uncertainty flickered, making him consider his option. He couldn't decipher the reason shame was prickling through him.

What reason did Roxas had to allow Axel into his life? A reminder popped in his head, about the fact that he was Axel's _tormentor._ He had mocked his pudgy face, his rolls of stomach fat, his nerdy glasses and his bright-colored hair. If Axel were to look the same way he did back then, would Roxas even bother talking to him? Probably not...

_But.._ Axel's attitude had changed also and he insisted on butting in into his life. Whether it was a silly remark or a wide smirk, something in Axel had Roxas wanting to respond back, mostly in a negative way. Well, at least he bothered talking to him. Maybe it was time to change, especially with how he treated Axel. The past can stay in the past. It's a brand new year and there are definitely room for new ways. Roxas decided that it was probably time to befriend Axel.

* * *

School hit him harshly the next morning and it didn't leave a good feeling in Roxas. He was tired, like he was every morning he came to school. He should probably try to sleep earlier rather than staying awake up to three a.m. The bell rang, signifying the students to walk to their first period class. But instead of going straight to his class, Roxas walked into a nearby restroom on the first floor.

As soon as he walked in, an atrocious smell pounded his face, making him swing his hand towards his face. Roxas pinched his nose, scrunching his face in revulsion. He trudged straight to the sinks, regretting entering the bathroom at all. The mysterious substances on the wall, awful bright interior design and appalling odor made him want to puke his guts onto the floor.

Hesitantly, Roxas removed his fingers from his nose, before quickly twisting the faucets, hoping the water will wake him up. He splashed the cool water onto his face, glaring at the blue eyes staring back at him. His dark circles seemed to pop out even more under his eyes after washing his face. He turned off the faucets before striding over to the paper towels, rubbing his wet face against the rough brown paper.

After that, he quickly ran out of the restroom, taking a deep breath of clean air. School bathrooms had to be one of the worst things ever, besides school lunches. He glanced at the school clocks, noticing he had three minutes to walk towards his class which was nearly on the other side of the school. Roxas shrugged, knowing if he ran he could have probably make it on time.

Though, for the sake of trying not to look like an idiot rushing to class, he strolled down to his class slowly. His class was on the second floor and he was currently on the first floor. There were only a few students in sight, different from the piles of crowded people he was used to seeing. Roxas entered a door, allowing him access to a staircase. He trudged upwards, taking his sweet time before reaching the second floor.

He was only a hall away from his classroom when a shocking view stop in his tracks. He halted in the middle of the hallway, blue eyes flying wide at the sight. Roxas just stood there, dumbfounded as his mouth hanged open. Usually, he wouldn't give another glance towards kissing couples in the hallways. It disgusted him actually, as people ate each others face, swapping tongue spit. Though, the revulsion was probably due to his lack of experience. However, the people who were now kissing each other gently, with a laugh were people he _actually_ knew.

_Sora_ was kissing someone. Roxas was firm on the belief that Sora didn't even knew the basics of sex, or kissing or anything romantic related. This was_ Sora,_ the grown child who still watched Disney movies, played with toy swords, and still dressed up for Halloween! Sora was a freaking kid for heaven's sake. This was a big deal, definitely a huge deal.

What made things worse was the person Sora was _kissing._ It horrified even more as Sora grasped onto the silver hair swishing around, murmuring into the mouth. Oh dear, don't tell me it's _Riku._ Sadly, it was definitely Riku he was smooching. Roxas felt like bashing his head against the walls and hopefully receive a concussion to forget the nightmares that'll definitely come. He _needed _to get to his class, but the two morons were blocking his path.

"R-Riku.. W-we need to get to class." Roxas wanted to clench his hair and scream violently as a moan of pleasure escaped from the brunet. He had the urge to run pass them but unfortunately he was planted to the spot with bewilderment. It was quite amazing nobody walked pass their way yet.

**BRIIIIIINGGG!** The tardy bell rang, making Roxas silently growl in annoyance, glaring daggers at his friends. They were still at it, although their embracing developed into something hotter. Their tongues clashed with each other, moans and grunts escaping as their hands groped each other's bodies. He looked away, slightly embarrassed at the disturbing view.

"I think it's time to go to our classes.." Sora broke away with a huge grin, before hugging Riku tightly. Roxas rolled his eyes at the sight before tensing. They're going to find him standing in the middle of the hallway.. "Well see ya later, baby.." Sora turned around and took a couple steps forward before flickering his sky blue eyes upwards, seeing a rigid figure standing in his path.

Sora blinked, raising his hand towards his face to rub his eyes. Then, he proceeded to blink again, as if he couldn't believe his eyes. After gawking at Roxas' face a couple more times, he lifted his hands and gave a shrill, girly screech. He backed up, mouth opening and then closing like a fish. Riku, who heard Sora's high-pitched shriek, turned around to face Roxas, who looked as mortified as Sora.

"Stop screaming, you're going to catch the attention of a teacher.." Roxas hissed, cheeks flushed. He placed his gaze towards the silver-haired teen, taking note of the small panic in his usually calm eyes. Roxas' red face slowly transformed into one of annoyance.

"R-Roxas, what are you doing here?" Sora whispered, placing on a nervous smile. Roxas scoffed, not amused at the question.

"I was obviously on my way to my class but unfortunately, I'm late because of two morons who decided suck face in the middle of the hallways." Roxas grumbled. Sora flushed, as he muttered a quick apology. Riku stepped forward, looking as if he were to retort.

Roxas interrupted. "Whatever, I don't care.. I can't deal with this right now. I'm exhausted and my teacher is an ass, he's probably going to lecture me on being tardy so thanks guys." Sarcasm oozed from his words.

"Wait, don't you want to know-"

"Explain it later." He wasn't in the mood to listen to any excuses spill out of Sora's mouth. Roxas trudged forward, passing by the frozen bodies of his two friends. Sora shook his head, looking more composed than before.

"Wait, let me walk you to your class." Sora insisted, grabbing Roxas' hand. Roxas pulled back, a little disgust shown on his face. Sora flinched, looking horrified to find rejection on his friend's face. Roxas shook his head, trying to get words out of his mouth.

"My class is just down the hall, Sora. I don't need you to hold my hand like a mother. You can do that with your _boyfriend._" Roxas retorted, finding a glare being pointed his way from the silver-haired teen. Roxas directed a soft teasing sneer towards Riku. He never did like Riku that much, with his pompous attitude. It was probably due to Roxas liking Sora as a friend and the jealousy that came along it. Despite finding Sora kissing the most ambitious guy ever, Roxas could never hate him. So, his irritated composure slowly died down as he placed a soft, strained smile. "It's fine Sora, it really is.. If you really feel like telling, just tell me when we're walking to Health."

With a slight wave, he left the pair in the middle of the hallway. Roxas groaned internally, realizing he was five minutes late to class. He stood outside the door, hand on the door, wondering if he could just ditch instead of walking right into the classroom. He could lie to his mom, telling her how he didn't feel well and she'll just accept the stupid excuse. With a defeated sigh, he walked into the classroom, immediately feeling everyone's eyes on him.

"Well, well, well.. If it isn't the Hayes kid. Now, why are you late, Roxas Hayes?" The one-eyed teacher murmured, an icy smirk placed on his face. Roxas scowled back, as he walked towards his seat. Hayner had a questionable gaze on his face but he ignored it. He sat in his seat, while the teacher stood there, expecting an answer. He shrugged, refusing to answer. Mr. Xigbar sighed, before proceeding on with the lesson.

* * *

On his way to Health, he found Sora nervously waiting for him. With a sigh, Roxas walked forward, listening as Sora rambled on about Riku. Apparently, the two have been dating for a month now and they hadn't bothered to tell him. It made his head hurt, hearing Sora rant about how much he liked Riku.

"I can't believe I never noticed how much I liked him. He's so c-"

"Wait, wait, wait.." Roxas hissed between gritted teeth. Sora stopped talking, peeking hesitantly at Roxas. Roxas just groaned, before he grabbed his friend by the shoulder and pulling him to another morbid bathroom. He looked around and when he found no one, he demanded just one answer. "I thought you liked Kairi.. You know, the girl you wouldn't stop gushing on and on about. What happened with her? I thought Kairi liked you too."

Sora wavered, mouth opening then closing. "I do like Kairi but it just didn't worked out. Riku suggested that I-"

"Does she know about you guys?" Roxas chided, eyes narrowing with irritation. Sora wavered, fumbling to speak.

"S-she wouldn't ca-"

"You know what, I don't really care anymore. Let's just walk to Health already.. before I'm tardy for a second time today." Roxas walked out of the restroom, while Sora trailed behind him, trying to catch up.

"Uhh, do you care? About the fact Riku's a guy?"

"Riku's a guy? _No way_, I didn't know! _Oh how_ his luscious silver hair and beautiful face had deceived me so!" Sarcasm bit his words. Roxas scoffed, directing an unimpressed look to Sora, who made a long face.

"Wait Roxas, before we get to class, I want to know something."

"What is it?" Roxas murmured, more focused on walking to his classroom then hearing Sora blabber.

"The tall redhead, the one you talked to yesterday during class. Who is he? People keep talking about him and it seems like you sorta know him too." Sora grinned, a wide one that suggested something more than what he was saying. Roxas rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Oh look, we're at the door." Roxas stated, before grabbing the doorknob and swinging the door open, nearly smacking Sora in the face. Sora moved back in time to frown at Roxas.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question.." Roxas didn't respond to Sora, walking into the class, only to find a certain redhead sitting behind his desk already. He trudged towards his seat, before plopping down. Sora glared at him, lips formed into a pout before taking a seat also, right next to Roxas.

Roxas took a deep breath, fluttering his eyes closed, thinking. He was absolutely certain that Sora had a crush on Kairi. If anything, he knew about it for about three years. There was absolutely no way Sora would drop his interest in Kairi that fast. Kairi was sweet, kind, caring and she's determined when she wants to be. Sora loved those qualities in her so why would he date Riku? It made absolutely no sense to him.

Riku was not someone Roxas really cared about, despite being close friends with. Sure, Riku was a cool collected teen, something Roxas appreciated in the silver-haired friend but he was also competitive and jealous. There was a time when all Riku did was challenge Sora in games and sneer with triumph when he won. When he didn't win, he would turn into a green-eyed monster, ignoring everyone for the rest of the day. It pissed off Roxas, especially back in the day when he was younger. Though, even when he had his little tantrums, Riku was still awfully protective of his friends. Roxas respected that quality in him, so he found it in his best interest not to care about Riku nor his relationship with Sora.

Putting aside those matters, Roxas was only worried about one thing and it was probably due to the redhead sitting behind him. He came to the decision that he was going to treat Axel better but honestly, he didn't know where to start. He certainly didn't want to take action, though that mostly had to do with Sora staring at him like a hawk.

Deciding a smile and a greeting wouldn't hurt, Roxas turned around. Axel raised his eyebrow, surprised to see the blond smiling at him.

"Hey.." Roxas whispered, a polite smile gracing his lips. Axel swallowed, looking incredibly tense with disbelief. Roxas resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the usual reaction. Why was the redhead always so stiff in the beginning? Hopefully, he'll stop that later on.

"Uhh.. Hi." Axel murmured with a slight hesitant wave. He had his nose scrunched up, confusion twinkling in those bright green eyes. Sighing, Roxas turned around, slapping himself internally. He didn't know what to say after that. It was awkward, too awkward to even address the redhead. He could feel Sora's eyes peering over with interest but he disregarded the questioning gaze.

Roxas felt as if he lost all the basic rules to making a friend. It had been so easy back then, when he was younger, to make a small friend. However, he was a brat back then too. He remembered ignoring all his new friends after a few days of talking. For some reason, he found it hilarious as they looked at him, eyes wide with hope and expectation but he left them with a sneer to his face. So maybe, he wasn't a friendly person. It's not like he ever kept most of his friends any longer than a week. But that was in the past, he was different now.

The only friends he did stick with were Sora with his group, and Hayner and his group. They were the only people Roxas was able to hold a good conversation with and they also liked him for who he was as a person. He never felt like making more friends than he ever had. Roxas gritted his teeth, immensely irritated at himself. Well, at least he managed to greet him. He could try again later.

Health was long, too slow for someone like Roxas. He could feel his focus dimming away, as the teacher droned on and on about abstinence and safe sex. To make things worse, the teacher had a monotonic voice. It was dull, slow and boring. He shook his head, trying to stay awake. He had forgotten that he had slept late last night. He felt uncomfortable with his body aching. The muscles in body strained every time he moved and it was hard to focus his eyes on anything. Roxas glanced around, at least half of the class was snoring away on their desks.

Sora was also snoozing, the tell-tale signs of drool were slipping from his mouth. Roxas scowled at Sora, having the strong urge to kick the dozing brunet. Sora deserved it for kicking him awake yesterday. However, Roxas was definitely a nicer person than Sora so he had decided to ignore him. For no apparent reason, Roxas looked at Axel, curious to see if the redhead had dozed off also. Nope. Axel was not asleep. Roxas made awkward eye contact with the redhead, before quickly turning away. Well, that was stupid. He sighed, wondering if Health will ever end.

* * *

The bell had _finally_ rang, allowing Roxas to run off to lunch where his friends were, leaving Sora behind in the class. By the time he got there, his usual group of friends were already there, cracking up with laughter from whatever joke Olette may have sprouted. Roxas sat down with a plop, signifying his presence. Olette stopped her cackling, her dark green eyes immediately flickering over with excitement. _Oh gosh_, Roxas already knew the words that was bound to tumble out of her mouth. He sat there, dreadfully anticipating the words.

"_Roxas, _you _know_ him! You know Axel and you didn't bother telling us! Why didn't you tell us?" Olette babbled, face twisted in mock disappointment. Roxas groaned, slapping himself on the forehead. Olette can be so melodramatic sometimes.

"You never asked.."

Olette opened her mouth, astonishment written all over her face. "Umm, I sorta assumed you had no idea. It's not like you reacted when I talked about him."

"Where did you meet this Axel guy?" Hayner interjected.

"Yeah, where did you meet him? Did you meet him before us?" Pence added. Roxas groaned once again, feeling bombarded from the questions.

Roxas hesitated. Did it really mattered it they knew? He felt their eyes staring at him, prying for answers. "He's just a childhood friend.." Well, he wouldn't really call Axel a friend but it was better than telling them he was Axel's past bully.

Olette frowned disappointingly, unsatisfied with the answer. "Well, if you say so.."

Olette turned away, changing the subject. Roxas blinked, surprised that Olette hadn't tried asking more about the redhead. Roxas sat there, listening absent-mindedly to his friends, thinking of Axel. He wondered if Axel was outside, smoking on a cigarette, just like he did yesterday. Was he talking to Demyx, that strange senior? Roxas frowned, puzzled as to why his thoughts were focused on a certain redhead. He shrugged it off, thinking he was probably anxious on befriending Axel.

* * *

Art was the one class he anticipated for. Roxas entered the class in a rush, frowning when he noticed once again the lack of the blonde-haired girl. Slowly, he trudged towards his seat. Namine was probably walking with Axel to class. Roxas frowned deeper, annoyed at the thought. A giggle caught his attention, making Roxas flick his head up.

Namine was entering the door and right next to her was Axel, who was grinning widely at the young girl. They soon reached their seats, not bothering to acknowledge the blond that was staring at them intensely. After a minute of giggles and chattering from the pair, Roxas decided he had enough. He stood up loudly, stomping across the room, trying to make as much noise as he can. He grabbed his art assignment before returning to his seat with a _thud_. Roxas did manage to attract a few curious stares but Namine or Axel never stopped talking, composing a scowl out of the blond.

"Hi guys..." It was a quiet whisper, muttered under his breath. Roxas reddened, when Namine continued chatting with Axel. A deep sigh escaped the blond, realizing that Namine probably wasn't able to hear the greeting he spewed out. Hearing no response, Roxas lowered his eyes, preparing to sulk for the rest of the period.

"You're looking sad today." Roxas flickered his eyes up, surprised to hear Axel attempt to talk to him. Axel showed no hesitance, as he gazed at Roxas, interested to hear a reply. Namine stopped her conversation to glance over to Roxas, her blank face slowly transforming into a small smile. Roxas stopped breathing, feeling Namine's light blue eyes on his.

"I'm not.." Roxas paused, before sighing tiredly. "It's been a rough day.." He admitted, feeling more exhausted than before. Axel slightly frowned, green eyes observing the dark circles and the pale face.

"Sure looks like it." The redhead murmured, green eyes looking slightly worried. A sympathetic smile graced Namine's angelic face, making Roxas' heart beat slightly faster, cheeks blushing a slight pink color. Axel narrowed his eyes at the blond, studying him as color flushed through his washed-out, soft tired features. Axel darted his eyes away, looking disgruntled.

They soon grew quiet. Though, the babbling continued after Axel turned towards Namine, making a not-so-funny remark about some teacher. Namine softly giggled into her fist, eyes shining with amusement. The rest of their class continued on like that for the next hour with Axel joking and Namine laughing. Roxas dozed off to sleep, with low soft murmurs and the delighted gasps passing through his ears. It had only felt like a brief moment, before the last bell screeched into his ears. Wide eyes popped open, alerted before slightly relaxing. However, Roxas quickly tensed up as he noticed the redhead leaving the room.

"W-Wait,** _Axel_**!" Roxas shouted, sounding hoarse. His throat tightened as he began to slightly tremble. He was getting edgy, nervousness was tumbling in. Thankfully, Axel paused at the doorway, facing Roxas. The blond gulped, hoping he didn't appear as timidly as he felt.

"Walk home with me, I need to tell you something." Roxas firmly stated, gazing intensely at Axel. The redhead didn't react, only giving a slight nod of confirmation. Roxas stumbled towards Axel. They quickly left the school's campus after that, walking the same route they did yesterday.

* * *

It was silent. Roxas had not bothered opening his mouth throughout the whole trip, not gaining the courage to slip out any words. Axel didn't seem to be bothered, as he walked besides Roxas. The redhead had a thoughtful frown on his face, eyebrows furrowed with concentration as they trudged towards the neighborhood. It was chilly, as a cold breeze brushed against the blond, screwing up his scruffy locks.

Roxas bit his lip in frustration, clutching the straps to his backpack. It had been ten minutes and he still had not directed a single word to Axel. Axel's house was starting to appear in his vision, making Roxas clench his fists with anxiety.

"Umm.. Axel?" Roxas stopped in his tracks, staring down at the concreted sidewalks. He had grabbed Axel's sleeve, grasping it softly.

"Yes?" Axel sounded a bit uncertain, as he shuffled around a bit.

"I'm.." Roxas paused, not able to summon the right words. Hesitantly, he brought his gaze upwards, cerulean blue eyes gazing at Axel. He was starting to feel uneasy. "Uhh, do you want to be friends?"

Axel arched an eyebrow, frowning. "Huh?"

Roxas frowned right back, a bit annoyed. "Do you want to be friends? You and me." He emphasized each word firmly, speaking more loudly than he did before.

"Friends?" Axel mumbled, his frown growing to a tiny reluctant smirk. "I thought we were already friends. You know, with how loving you are to me? I mean don't you normally throw harsh insults towards your fellow peers?"

Roxas grew even more irritated. He softly glared at the redhead. "I don't taunt my friends.." Irritation died down, calmness taking it's place. Roxas took a deep sigh, scratching his head in thought. "I just.. I just wanted to apologize.."

Axel straightened up, looking interested. A curious gleam appeared in his light green eyes, his arrogant grin vanishing. He softly replied, "For what?"

"For being mean to you.. For calling you all those names when I was a dumb kid.. For doing the same exact thing the other day." Roxas shifted nervously, hoping Axel would accept his apology.

Axel stilled, a blank expression appearing on his face. He opened his mouth a couple of times but closed it before a word can be uttered.

"Let's be friends and start new.." Roxas added in, feeling insanely nervous. He took a deep breath before sticking his hand towards Axel. "Hi, my name is Roxas.." He bit his lip. Hopefully, that wasn't a wrong move..

Axel studied the hand, still expressionless. He remained unresponsive before flickering his eyes towards Roxas. "Okay.. Your name's Roxas, I knew that.."Roxas dropped his hand, reddening a little in humiliation. Axel shook his head at the reaction, a light smile appearing on his face. Then, he murmured, "Fine, let's be buddies.."

"You don't mind being friends with me?" Disbelief oozed from his voice.

"Of course not!" Axel grinned, enthusiasm appearing. "I mean we _are_ friends now." The redhead chuckled, joy shining in his eyes.

"Yeah, friends..." Roxas laughed along with Axel, feeling energized. A huge weight lifted off his shoulder, relief flooding through him. Wow, he had finally became friends with Axel, his childhood victim. Things were sure starting to look great for him..

* * *

**Okay.. It feels like I wrote this in a rush somehow... I was just impatient and tired at the end of the chapter so sorry if it's written poorly. This chapter was probably boring to read too, it sure was for me. Thanks for all the people that reviewed! Thanks for pointing out that I sorta needed to work on my dialogue, guest. I appreciate it. I have a really tough time on dialogue so hopefully, it was better in this chapter? Probably not..**

**Why does it feel like I'm rushing this story?**


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

If Roxas had anything to say about his new friendly relationship with Axel, it was that the red-head definitely knew how to crack out a laugh from him. Sure the redhead was a _bit _funny when he previously murmured those crappy pick-up lines to him. Well, it would've probably seemed like that from another viewpoint but needless to say, Roxas had not been amused. Though, if Axel flirted with some horny girl in school, she would've probably melted from the purrs and flirtatious winks the redhead sent their way _o__r _she would've slap him with a scoff.. Either way, it would've had Roxas snorting with laughter.

Since he became friends with Axel, he had began to appreciate how the redhead would act playful and entertaining. Roxas also acknowledged the friendly way Axel would treat him, despite how much of a prick he used to act back then. His new companion would treat him no differently than anyone else. Axel would chat with him, usually with a grin, like everyone else he talked to.

Actually no, sometimes Axel would act a little strange. In Health class, Roxas would sometimes feel piercing green eyes gazing at him but whenever he looked back, Axel would quickly divert his eyes to his paper. It was even more unusual in Art class now, with their new profound friendship with Axel. The redhead had started making conversations with him. He would usually include Namine as well in his little discussion, making sure nobody out of the trio felt left out. Though, talking with Namine would leave Roxas blushing like a tomato. Prior to that, Axel would usually place on a strained grin after detecting Roxas's red face.

There was another peculiar thing Axel did in Art that left Roxas feeling a bit odd. Most days, Axel would stare at him with a glossy look, as if he were daydreaming about something. He always did it in class, never facing anyone but Roxas with such intense eyes. The only difference between Health and Art was that in Art, Roxas was very much _aware_ of the ogling gaze Axel would send his way. Roxas wouldn't say he was disgusted. He should've been but for some odd reason, he wasn't put off by it at all. Though, he wouldn't advise Axel to do any more than that unless he wanted an awkward confrontation and possibly a punch to his face.

The day after they became friends, Roxas had no idea what action to take or what conversations to start. It was generally awkward, with him not knowing what to say. That day was bizarre for both Axel and Roxas, with most of their discussions ending with uncomfortable silence. However, it slightly got better the next day and the day after that. Soon, days and weeks passed by, making it easier for them to talk. Thankfully, Axel's little anxiety problem when Roxas greeted him disappeared.

If there was anything Roxas realized, it was that Axel was quite sharp, compared to his other friends. Most of the time, Axel was able to detect anytime Roxas was feeling down or angry, baffling the blond. Roxas would usually try to cover up any sadness with a straight face whenever he was in a crappy mood, so it surprised him when Axel pulled him to the side, asking Roxas if anything bad happened.

As expected, Roxas's friends grew curious, especially Sora. Sora was like an energetic puppy, following him around, barking questions at him. He felt the urge to kick Sora away whenever the brunet became too invasive but that was probably like kicking a puppy and animal lovers are seriously intense. They'd probably hunt him down and surely, Roxas wasn't in the mood to have a certain silver-haired teen attempt to kick his ass. So reluctantly, Roxas told Sora he became friends with a certain redhead, hoping it'll shut the brunet's mouth but sadly, only more questions spilled out.

Hayner, Olette and Pence were curious too but they weren't as invading as Sora. When Roxas told them he was going to spend more time with Axel (aka. his new friend), Olette patted him on the back, murmuring, "You actually made a friend and he's hot too.. I'm so proud of you, my little muffin!"

Needless to say, Roxas slapped her hand away with a scowl. She laughed it off, asking if they were still going to walk home together. Roxas gave a frown at that, thinking, before deciding that he should probably walk home with them every other day. They happily accepted it, glad to spend time with their friend, except for Hayner who started to mope with a frown, sad to have his buddy being taken away by some weird redhead. Roxas scoffed at Hayner, slapping him across the back, telling him he was being ridiculous.

Also, there was a pretty small difference at home with Axel being over at his house most of the time. If anything, Roxas's mother _loved_ inviting his friends over for dinner, desiring some praise regarding her food. Thankfully for her, Axel shoots out compliments rather easily, usually grinning his charismatic smile. She would melt, reacting the same way she usually does when Sora praised her cooking.

His father had came home from his trip a few days after he became friends with Axel. He had greeted Axel with a big smile, swinging his arm around the redhead's shoulder and voiced his amazement on how Axel went through a huge change since he last seen him. Axel laughed along, placing on a similar smile to the grinning father. Roxas's father had his fair amount of questions he directed towards Axel, a little less invading than the ones his mother asked. Axel had answered them smoothly, a cool look on his face and Roxas definitely had to admire the way Axel would answer them intelligently.

Roxas didn't want to admit the fact that he was starting to get really attached to Axel. Some days, when he was sure Axel wasn't looking, he would gaze at the redhead. Roxas would stare intensely at the details of his face, observing the way his amazing green eyes would shine under the light or the way his skin would look absolutely flawless. However, Axel would occasionally catch him gazing at him, making Roxas snap out of his trance. Then, to make it a bit less awkward, Roxas would immediately start a small chat, as if he were intending to start talking to him from the very beginning.

It made Roxas slightly ponder on whether or not he was developing some sort of _girly_ crush on Axel but he would usually shrug it off with a snort. He _liked _Namine, not Axel. His feelings for Namine had not died down at all, regardless of how distant she's been acting. If anything, his feeling for her stayed pretty much the same since he started high school. Despite his crush towards Namine, Roxas would feel his face reddening whenever he stood to close to Axel or whenever the redhead would insert some stupid cheesy joke. His heartbeat would fasten exactly the same way it would when he was around Namine.

Despite the development of his new feelings, Roxas would deny any shred of desire towards Axel, groaning loudly in disgust. Though, Roxas was definitely overjoyed of his new buddy. Axel also expressed joy on their new friendship too. They spent a great deal of time together, allowing Roxas to grab a new perception on Axel. The blond instantly clicked with Axel, so it made their time together enjoyable.

* * *

It was an extremely cold school day for Roxas and luckily for him, he was inside the school building for most of the day. This day marked the first month since he became friends with Axel. It was a bit stupid to keep track of the days but Roxas couldn't help it, he just had the urge to. Anyhow, Roxas silently congratulated himself for going through the month with no cruel remarks directed towards Axel. Regarding school, Roxas passed by the morning with ease, only feeling a tiny bit of exhaustion. However, when he entered his Health class, something appeared to be going on with Axel.

For some odd reason, Roxas noticed a slight change in Axel during the past week. Even though Axel had always acted a bit funny, this was on a whole different scale. Axel would act a little jumpy whenever he was nearby, looking extremely tense whenever Roxas attempted to converse with the redhead. Roxas would blink in confusion, before shrugging it off. He would usually ignore the strange behavior but today, he couldn't stop the words of curiosity and slight irritation from slipping out of his mouth.

"Is there something wrong?" Roxas crossed his arms, an eyebrow rising up. Axel halted, flickering his wide eyes at Roxas, before quickly easing up, placing on a small smile.

"Wrong? What do you mean by that?" His words had a slight edge to it.

"What I'm saying is that you've been acting a bit odd this _whole _entire week. Anything strange happening?" Roxas asked, his mouth drawn downwards in concern.

"Nope, must be all in your head. I've been feeling amazing all week." Axel laughed it off, his vibrant voice filling up the chattering class. Sora was right beside him in his desk, sneaking peeks at him but Roxas ignored him, scrunching his face up in disbelief, not believing a single word coming out of the redhead.

"I guess so..." He softly murmured. Axel's jubilant face died down a little, morphing into a neutral expression. With an uptight smile, he leaned closer to Roxas and started ruffling his hair, messing it up.

"Come on, Ro-ooxas, don't worry your little head off. It's nothing to worry about." Axel verbalized with a huge grin, his hands playing with his hair. An angry blush appeared on the Roxas's face and with a growl, he swatted the hand away. The blond ran his hand through his hair, attempting to fix it into a smoother style than the disheveled one the redhead had produced.

"I-" Roxas opened his mouth to respond but at that time, the teacher had walked in, resulting in the whole class falling silent. Roxas narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Axel before turning his head to the front of the class, facing the teacher. He just _knew_ there was something odd going on with the redhead, despite Axel dismissing it off. Roxas felt troubled, wondering if Axel was hiding something. Though, a small part of him was asking why he even bothered to care for Axel. Frowning, Roxas told himself he just couldn't help it.

* * *

During sixth period, a teacher asked him to do an errand for him which irritated Roxas a bit. Roxas was never the right person to ask for work-related stuff like this. Why did the teacher even asked him to do it?_ Oh right_, it's because nobody bothered raising their hand when the teacher asked for a volunteer. However, Roxas couldn't blame them. Who'd want to go outside in this freezing weather?

The teacher demanded Roxas to go outside to throw a bag of trash away. Wasn't there people who had jobs for this? Roxas grumbled in annoyance, remembering the way Pence had an amused smile on his face and with a wave, mouthed "-have fun.." Fun? There was entirely no way Roxas would enjoy being in the dark chilly weather, especially with the light jacket he had on.

Roxas took a small step outside, a blast of cold air instantly pounding him in the face. He blinked in astonishment as he took in the view outside. It was actually snowing.. Small, tiny snowflakes were sprinkling down, landing softly on his unkempt blond locks. A feeling of excitement flared up as a grin popped up on his face. Snow was usually rare in an area like this, which is the reason why he had the urge to dive into the snow and roll around like a little kid.

However, he still had a trash bag clenched in his grip. So for a quick moment, he ignored the flakes falling down into the piles of snow and strolled to the huge dumpster at the corner and tossed the smelly bag into it, instantly closing the lid. Roxas took out his phone, checking the time. Only five more minutes until class ended... Roxas frowned, conflicted on whether to return to the class or not.

He started absent-mindedly at the snow, thinking, before grinning widely. Whatever, it's not like the teacher would actually care on whether or not he came back. He could ditch class for just a few minutes, they'll never notice. He pounced on the snow, jumping up and down, watching his footsteps engrave themselves to the piles of snow. Roxas crouched down, grabbing a handful of snow to make a snowball out of. Deeming it looked like a pretty good snowball, he hurled it onto the school's brick walls, observing how it scattered.

Roxas continued to entertain himself until the school's bell startled him. He shivered, noting the way snow was clinging to his clothes or the way ice started to melt, making him colder than ever. With a sigh, he rose from the ground, getting ready to sprint back into the school. He took his first step, before crashing down as his foot slipped on the ice.

Splat.. He landed on his butt with a groan. He stood up once again, more careful with his steps. Roxas decided to take a longer way around the school building to his class, mostly because it was right next to Art. So he began strolling around the school, with the snow slowly plunging downwards. He just _couldn't_ wait to tell Namine and Axel about the snow outside, they'll definitely be thrilled to hear about it. He walked a little faster, excited to share his news.

He was nearly at the school's entrance when a sight caught him off guard. It was _exactly_ like the time when Roxas caught Sora and Riku smothering each other, kissing passionately in the hallways, except it was with two different people. Though, these people weren't really strangers to him. Unlike the disgust Roxas displayed when he saw Sora and Riku, he had entirely no reaction on his face to this except for the aching pounding in his chest.

It was definitely Axel he was seeing near the entrance. Roxas was pretty sure that those red flaming spikes belonged to Axel, there was no denying it. The sight already had him gritting his teeth but the person he was kissing just made his blood boil, the desire to cry tears of frustration intensely strong. A certain blonde haired girl was leaning up on her toes, kissing Axel sweetly.

It was a peculiar sight, the glimpse of Namine tip-toeing up and Axel leaning down to kiss. The height difference had Roxas wanting to laugh loudly in annoyance but not a single sound slipped out of him. He just _needed _to leave.. He wouldn't be able to stay silent if he stayed here any longer, his face was already twisting in fury and despair. His hands were clenched tightly in anger and it was so _damn _cold to be outside.

The kissing pair separated, Namine was smiling gently at Axel, teeth gleaming as her eyes shone happily. Axel didn't appear to look the same way though. His face was entirely blank, green eyes looking dull as he gazed at her. But it instantly changed a few seconds later, as the redhead directed a tiny small towards Namine. Roxas turned, repulsed, his heart racing.

Roxas turned to the other direction, deciding to enter the door from where he first entered, not wanting to confront the pair at all. Roxas broke out into a small sprint, forgetting the fact that snow and ice covered the sidewalks. After a few seconds of running, Roxas face-planted onto the hard concrete, his face banging harshly against the sidewalk.

"SHIT!" Roxas screamed, cursing as pain exploded into his senses. He instantly gripped his face in mortification, wondering if they heard him. Roxas turned his head towards the entrance, flinching when two pair of curious eyes flickered his way. They didn't appear to recognize him, their expressions looking bewildered. Roxas immediately picked himself up, getting ready to keep walking the other way as if nothing happened. Though, before he could take another step, his name was uttered.

"_Roxas!?_" Roxas froze, hearing Axel's disbelieving voice. Tentatively, he moved his eyes to face green eyes. A horrified look was placed on the redhead's face, emerald green eyes wide with recognition. Namine was extremely red in the face, looking ashamed to have been caught. Roxas didn't reply, his mouth was opening and closing like a fish out of it's natural habitat.

"Roxas, i-is that you?" Namine stammered, as tense as a statue. Axel shuffled away from Namine, acting as if nothing happened. A small nonchalant smile appeared on the redhead's face as he stared at Roxas.

"What're you doing outside, Roxas? Isn't it extremely chilly to be in this cold weather?" A strained grin appeared on Axel's face, trying to play off the previously close intimate moment with the blond girl. Namine nervously chuckled, nodding along to Axel's words. Roxas's wide-eyed stare disappeared as rage began to build up. An angry scowl appeared on his face, eyes narrowing in irritation.

"You've _got_ to be joking..." Roxas gritted out, directing a glare towards the pair. He growled in aggravation, turning towards the direction of his house, intent on walking home in this cold, shitty weather. He didn't care about art class anymore so he might as well skip it.

"Where are you going?" Axel yelled out, waving his arms furiously at Roxas but the blond just scoffed. "Are you really _walking _home in this weather?" Oh, how could he have forgotten? Since it was getting colder and it was such a bother walking to school, Axel would offer to drive Roxas to school, especially when the temperature dropped freezing cold like this. Roxas agreed to the offer quite happily, relieved not to be out in the cold for twenty minutes. Roxas growled, pausing for a quick moment, twisting his head at Axel.

"Fuck you," Roxas hissed, venom dripping from his voice. Namine looked appalled, appearing to be paler than usual. Axel was just shocked, eyes widening in surprise. A look of shame quickly flickered over the redhead's face. Roxas continued walking down the usual street, kicking the ground furiously. His heart was still thumping quite heavily, a dull ache sharply piercing into him. He had the strong urge to bawl as his face heated up in anger. Tears of frustration prickled his blue eyes but he quickly wiped them away.

There was _no _way he was crying about meaningless things like this. Namine was definitely not his girlfriend. Also, Axel was his friend.. There was no reason as to why he should be this upset. But he couldn't help it, he _liked _Namine for so long and if anything, he wanted to be her first kiss, not Axel. Roxas took a shuddering sigh, sniffing.

He _didn't _even know who to be mad at. Even though he had a huge crush on Namine, he couldn't help feeling quite bitter towards her. Damn it_,_ Axel was _his _friend and there was absolutely _no _way she was stealing that away. However, the same went for Axel... The redhead _kissed _her! Sure it was such a simple, stupid little kiss but he liked her _so_ much, it felt like someone ripped his heart out. Roxas cursed silently, not knowing who to direct his wrath towards. Whatever, he might as well despise them both.

Roxas stomped angrily, too focused on his thoughts to notice the loud footsteps quickly trailing up behind him.

* * *

**A/N**: I hate to end it there but why not? It seemed like the perfect place to stop. Plus, I'm not patient enough for a loooong chapter. Sorry if the beginning is a little sloppy, I'm not satisfied with it but I don't feel like redoing it. Okay, talking about bad writing, I read over the beginning and for some reason, I think I wrote it all half-assed. I have this huge desire to edit the first few chapters but I'm too lazy for that so sorry for the crappy beginning chapters. You probably don't notice a difference though, haha :D


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Roxas sniffled quietly, stomping angrily down the sidewalks. Lost in his thoughts, he was about to turn a corner into his neighborhood when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, startling him. He let out a surprised yell as he steered around, planting a fist against the stranger's stomach. A pained grunt filled the air, making Roxas glance at the stranger more properly.

It was Axel, with his lanky arms curling around his stomach, anguished look on his face. Reflexively, Roxas opened his mouth, ready to apologize for hurting the redhead before shutting his mouth. There was no reason for him to be sorry, especially after what Axel just did. Roxas just stood there, conflicted on whether to just stay there or not while Axel attempted to compose himself, an awkward smile flicking upwards.

"Well," Axel started, sounding a little shaky. "You sure know how to pack a punch and here I thought you were all bark." Roxas narrowed his eyes, not bothering to respond. Was Axel really trying to make him despise him any more than he already did? If he was, it sure as hell was working. Axel's tense smile died down, a grimace replacing it.

"Why did you run off? Don't you know we still have art class?" Axel questioned, taking a step closer to the blond. Roxas immediately stepped back, glaring at the redhead. Was Axel stupid? Of course he knew there was still school going on.

"I don't feel like staying..." Roxas bitterly mumbled, directing a scowl at Axel. There was no way he was staying with those two after what he had experienced. The redhead frowned even more, before trying to gently grab Roxas by the shoulder, only to have the blond slap his hand away with a ferocious look on his face. Axel frowned, eyes narrowing in irritation.

"What the hell is wrong with you? I'm starting to think you're the one that's acting a little off today." Axel chided, raising an eyebrow. Roxas's scowl turned even more vicious, literally growling in frustration.

"Me, a little off today?! Don't you even _dare_ try to act all innocent. I fucking saw you kiss Namine, you ass." Roxas scorned, disdain in his voice. Axel drew back in surprise, wide-eyed, realizing that Roxas had actually seen them kiss.

"Oh, you mean _that..._" Axel mumbled, not staring at Roxas. Roxas could've laughed mockingly at his face if he had the urge to but he was too frustrated to do anything other than glare daggers.

"Yeah, _that._" Roxas scoffed, sneering at Axel. Green eyes flickered upwards, unfaltering as he gazed at Roxas.

"So, what about it?" Axel questioned, a tense look on his face. Roxas felt his anger build up, as he clenched his fists in fury, aching to dig his hands into Axel's gut. How the hell could Axel sound so nonchalant after kissing Namine? There was no way this was happening.

"How?" Roxas gritted out, grinding his teeth together to suppress his rage. "How the hell did it happen?" Questions were piling up quickly and he desperately needed them to be answered. Axel frowned at Roxas, slightly raising his eyebrow, running a hand though his red hair.

"Well, umm, Namine was the one who kissed me first and it sort of escalated after that." Axel mumbled, a strained smile on his face, his emerald green eyes peeking hesitantly at Roxas's face, observing his reaction.

"Bullshit." Roxas retorted, glaring daggers into the redhead. "Give me the real reason." Namine would never initiate the first move. Roxas understood that Namine was not a bold person, she was usually too nervous to do anything on her own. She was humble, which was one of the qualities that Roxas just loved about her. Axel wasn't responding, just staring at him, light green eyes piercing into him.

After a short pause, Axel finally replied. "Maybe it's because she looked like you..." Roxas took a deep breath, trying to calm down but obviously not succeeding. He only grew more infuriated with Axel's excuses.

"So, you're telling me I look like a girl?" He was annoyed, _really_ annoyed. First off, Axel had just indicated that he resembled Namine, his _crush. _Apparently, if they were ever to start dating, people would've probably assumed they were siblings. Not like that was ever going to start happening, with Axel pulverizing his dreams. He just needed the redhead to stop with his lies and blurt out the truth.

"No, no, that's not what I'm trying to say at all. What I'm trying to tell you is-" Axel started shaking his head rapidly, a frantic gleam in his eyes.

"Stop it." Roxas demanded, his eyes hardening. "If you don't tell me the truth right now... I swear, I fucking swear, I'll walk away and I'll never talk to you again... Not a single word to you, ever..." A scowl was engraved on Roxas's face, cerulean eyes commanding the redhead for an answer.

Axel stilled, before he mumbled out weakly. "Why do you care so much, I mean it's not like your Namine's boyfriend or anything..."

"IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE HER!" Roxas screamed out, face contorting, temper rising out of control. "I'VE LIKED HER SINCE THE BEGINNING OF HIGH SCHOOL. I HAVE A DAMN CRUSH ON HER, YOU DICK! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE THAT AWAY, AXEL!" His feeling were spilling out rapidly, any attempts on containing his cool went flying out of the window. Tears of frustration were threatening to spill out but he held them back, not wanting to appear girly. He was infuriated and there was no way he would display any sadness about it. Axel staggered back in surprise, dumbfounded by the shout. His eyes darkened, as he comprehended what Roxas had just spouted out, entire face going to blank.

"Fine.." Axel murmured, moving in closer to the blond. Roxas took a step back in surprise, as Axel's face loomed incredibly closer. There was a firm look on his face, as he uttered the words. "Do you really want me to tell you the truth?"

"Of course I want the truth." Roxas spitted out. Why did it felt like Axel was delaying his response? He sure as hell didn't have the urge to stay here all afternoon, in the freezing cold.

"It's because you like her..." Axel mumbled lowly, making Roxas strain his ears to listen. Could Axel be any more vague than this? Of course he had a crush on Namine.

"I thought we went over this.. Of course-"

"But she doesn't like you back." Axel interrupted, gazing at Roxas a bit nervously. Roxas's next words were halted, any response dying in his throat. There was a brief pause in the air.

"So what? What does that have to do with the kiss?" Roxas croaked out. Axel was hesitant to answer, a frown appearing on his face.

"Namine came to me last week and I asked her to be my girlfriend. Then, she happily accepted. She never liked you, Roxas. The only reason I asked her out was to show you that she never cared about your crush towards her." Axel was silently pleading with Roxas to understand but Roxas only glared back in anger.

"That doesn't make sense, you could've just told me she didn't liked me."

"I-I... I guess I didn't really think that through..." Axel stuttered, anxiously scratching the back of his head. "Oh, yeah..."

Roxas felt like his heart fell into pieces. He was dejected, more sad than infuriated. It stung him, learning that the girl of his dreams never liked him. Instead, she had a thing for Axel, his friend. It was as if fate was trying to screw up the life he was desperately trying to fix. All his feelings were pulling him down, drowning him in a puddle of misery. However, Roxas wouldn't allow his sorrow to peek through his mask of anger so with a scowl, he growled at Axel, infuriated.

"How was any of this suppose to help me at all? How does _this _benefit you!?" Roxas shouted, his eyebrows furrowed together. Then, a foul, dark expression overtook his aggravated face. "Unless you like her yourself..." Axel was flabbergasted, before shaking his head furiously, a quiet "no" escaping out of him.

"I only did it because I cared about you, not because I like Namine." Axel griped out. This was the ending point for Roxas. He was beginning to grow fed up with Axel so he turned around, carefully walking on the icy sidewalks. He was done with everything, exhausted with listening to Axel. It was time for him to go home. He was only a couple steps away when Axel's voice yelled out. "IT'S BECAUSE I LIKE YOU, OKAY? I KISSED NAMINE BECAUSE I WAS JEALOUS OF HER AND I JUST _WANTED_ YOU TO LIKE ME!"

"What?" Roxas froze, spinning around slowly to meet frantic green eyes. Axel took a deep breath, anxiously shuffling his feet around.

"I said I liked you..."

He whispered quietly, gazing down at the ground with an embarrassed frown. All of Roxas's attention was now placed on Axel, waiting for him to explain his "love" confession a bit more clearly. There was an awkward pause as Axel tried to compose himself to speak more words. It wasn't long before he finally opened his mouth, anxiously looking up into astonished blue eyes.

"I liked you... I liked you ever since we were kids. When we were younger, I couldn't help attaching myself to you even if you _were_ a bit rude. I fell in love with you back then and when I came here, I came here expecting to hate your guts because I _finally _realized how much of a little dick you were when we were younger. Honestly, when I first met you again after all those years, I wasn't surprised to see you acting the same shitty way you did when we were kids. However, I _was_ caught off guard when you asked to be friends. I was even _more_ shocked when you apologized... Then, you mentioned how you were a dumb kid and you know, I'm glad you finally realized that.." Axel chuckled, voice cracking with sadness. Roxas couldn't help but glance away from the intense green eyes, a deep frown placed on his face, heart throbbing with an unknown feeling. "Then, after all that, I finally realized I've fallen for you twice and for such a stupid reason too."

"Axel-" The redhead cut his words off, rambling on.

"I like Namine... As a friend of course.. So, it was probably inconsiderate of me to use her to make you jealous. But I guess it was a stupid plan, mostly because you weren't there to see me kissing her most of the time... Plus, it wasn't her you were jealous of.. It was me, wasn't it?"

Roxas was dumbstruck, his mind slowly comprehending the words Axel had just expressed. He had no idea on what action to take, mouth gaping open, gawking at the redhead. He was aware that Axel might've liked him but he never realized it was this strong. Roxas thought he would've been prepared for the day Axel decided to voice his feelings towards him but it only ended up shocking him speechless. He never expected _this_.

"A-Axel... I-" He stopped his stuttering when Axel moved closer to him, making him gaze with wide eyes up at the redhead. Roxas couldn't help but notice the clear height difference between the both of them as he glanced up. Axel was in front of him and he was really, _really _close. Axel was staring deeply into his eyes, looking serious. Roxas only shifted awkwardly, uncomfortable by the closeness.

"Roxas," Axel murmured quietly. "Do you hate me?" The blond frowned, wondering why Axel would ask such a stupid question. Roxas wouldn't take his time becoming friends with someone he despised.

"Of course not..." He mumbled, furrowing his eyebrows. "I wouldn't hate a fr-"

"Then would you hate me if I did this?"

Roxas flickered his eyes at Axel in confusion, before realizing what Axel was intending to do. Axel's face was approaching closer, emerald green eyes taking in every detail on his face. Roxas was rooted to the spot, his mind backfiring on him. His mouth went dry while his breaths quickly vanished. He felt his cheeks flare up as his own fingernails clenched into his palms painfully. He was rigid, tense with bewilderment. Then, everything went still.

Axel was _kissing _him. He was leaning down and he was _actually _kissing him.. Roxas wasn't responding, he was still even when Axel gripped his tousled blond hair and pulled him closer, smothering him. It was tentative at first, with smooth lips embracing his own chapped ones. Though, when Roxas refused to acknowledge the kiss, unresponsive, Axel had started to desperately smack kisses all over his mouth. It was sloppy and was completely frantic for a reaction but Roxas still stood there, not moving an inch.

It was a weird feeling and Roxas wasn't liking the way his heart pounded, rumbling his bones. The way Axel was _staring _at him with his heartbroken eyes, just made him wanted to scream. Shouldn't he be the one feeling unhappy? The kisses were still coming, with Axel's hot breaths against his mouth. He felt as if he couldn't breath and his head was feeling light. He needed oxygen... Right now...

So, instead of pushing Axel away gently. He punched him right in the stomach, less harsher than the previous hit. Axel broke away with a pained gasp, flinching back, once again wrapping his arms around his stomach in anguish. Roxas took a big breath, panting softly for oxygen. Axel had glanced up, stunned that he had been punched before a crestfallen expression appeared on his face, dismayed that he had been rejected. Roxas shook his head and without a word, he quickly moved down the neighborhood.

"_Wait, Roxas!" _He was getting farther away from the redhead, walking down the ice and snow carefully. It wasn't long before the shouts of his name vanished.

* * *

Roxas closed the front door quietly before he trudged upstairs. A sniffle escaped him and he rubbed at his nose, wondering if he was sick. The house was warm which was nice, compared to the chilling weather outside. He was about to enter his room when a voice stopped him. He froze, eyes panicked. He glanced behind him, expecting to find some burglar, only to discover his mother standing downstairs, who was previously in the kitchen.

"Roxas, why are you home so early?" Roxas shook his head exhaustingly, quickly coming up with an excuse.

"I'm sick..." With that, he sniffled, giving a soft cough along with the explanation. She frowned, before nodding.

"Then, you should probably take off your wet clothes. You wouldn't want it to get worse." Roxas nodded, realizing his clothes were drenched, wet from the snow that had melted. He entered his decent-sized room, changing into dry clothes in a rush before flopping in his bed with a pleased sigh. It wasn't long before he realized he left his backpack in the school locker and with a groan, he snuggled deeper into his bed, wrapping his body around his warm, comfy blanket.

He was insanely tired. His outburst of emotions had drained him, making him rub his eyes in a daze. He didn't want to think for himself ever again. The thought of going to school the next day had Roxas wanting to groan. Confronting Namine and Axel would kill him.. Both for different reasons... It was clear that Roxas would never be able to talk to them the same way he had yesterday. Though, he couldn't help but wonder if he was overreacting about the current situation. He closed his eyes, sleepiness overcoming him, grumbling tiredly.

"This is so stupid..."

* * *

**A/N**: Updates might be slower these days because I need to focus on other things more. Just expect 2-4 weeks on updates these days.. or maybe it'll take only a week because I'm really enjoying writing this story but I'm seriously not good with focusing only on one story. Plus, I have a lot of ideas I really want to post but I think I'll post them after I finish this story. Also, I'm starting to get bombarded with a lot of work..

Speaking about this story, I actually took the time to plan a couple chapters ahead and plus, I planned the ending for this fic already. Yaaay! That way, I don't have to think of what action I want them to take. It'll be a lot smoother that way. This story will probably have 5-10 chapters left, haha. I only jotted down the summary of the five next chapters and the ending I want. :D

You know... I've had a lot of kissing these past three chapters.. LOL...This chapter was pretty short too...


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

It was warm when Roxas woke up early that morning. It was too hot, with his forehead burning intensely and his body sweating under the large, thick blankets. Roxas groaned hoarsely as his alarm clock shrieked in to his ear, signifying him to start preparing for school. He squeezed his eyes together tightly, before slowly dragging his hand to the alarm clock. He slammed his hand on the snooze button, sighing in relief when the loud ringing stopped.

Roxas snuggled into his blankets, ready to drift off once more into dreamland. He was in a deep slumber for about ten minutes, relaxing with his cool pillow against his warm forehead. Unfortunately, his alarm clock decided to pierce his ear again, making his eyes pop open in dazed surprise. He was feeling groggy, his fuzzy head aching. Mumbling nonsense, he turned off the clock.

Roxas thought he would've been ready to prepare for school by now but his body greatly disagreed with him. His nose was stuffy, urging him to take large, raspy breaths. Everytime he shifted around, his body ached, creaking in protest. Also, his eyes were glued together with exhaustion, refusing to open. It didn't take much for him to discover he was sick. Roxas reprimanded himself, certain his illness was the result of playing in the snow the previous day.

Soon, his mother plodded into his room, a slight frown on her face. She stood tall, observing the still body on the bed, dressed in her work clothes.

"Roxas, why aren't you getting ready for school?" Shelbie asked, eyebrows furrowed together in worry. Roxas only murmured in response, hiding his face behind his pillow. Aggravating, loud footsteps strolled to the bed, making him grumble in irritation. Then, a cool, smooth hand touched his forehead, feeling for his temperature. "How are you feeling?" His mother's concerned tone whispered.

"I'm sick..." Roxas mumbled, his voice nasally, sniffling. His mother's cool hand left his forehead, resulting in a groan from the blond. His scorching forehead really enjoyed the nice, chilly touch of his mother.

"I would assume so. You're really warm, sweetheart." Shelbie whispered, her troubled frown inching downwards. "You should stay home today. Maybe you'll feel better next week..."

"Yeah.." Roxas closed his eyes, exhaustion filling his whole body despite sleeping for quite a long time. Shelbie leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek, murmuring a "goodbye." Then, the door was closed quietly. He was drifting off back to sleep when the front door closed shut. It wasn't long before Roxas was back to sleep, snoring softly on his comfortable bed.

Roxas was relieved he wasn't going to school. He wasn't prepared to leave his warm, little house, not with Namine and Axel at school. The events that occurred yesterday only placed a foul taste in his mouth. The thought of returning back to school repulsed him. The memories were still fresh on his mind and Roxas was pretty sure he didn't want any of it there. There was so much that went on yesterday and Roxas just could not comprehend it all at once...

First, it snowed. There was actually soft, fluffy snowflakes raining down from the sky and it was such a miracle. It was such a huge change compared to the usual dark, gloomy sky the city would receive.

However, the next thing that happened definitely changed his joyful smile into a crestfallen frown. It was Namine and Axel, kissing ever so gently under the feathery snowflakes. Despite the rage he felt building up inside him, Roxas couldn't help but silently admit they looked breathtaking together, as if they belonged in those sappy, romance movies. They were gorgeous... Namine, with her gentle angelic appearance and Axel, with his stunning face and body. Regardless of the perfection he was seeing, jealousy quickly devoured him. Then, he was quickly out of that hellhole.

It wasn't easy though because Axel caught up to him. So, it was totally not his fault when he decided to sucker punch Axel right in the stomach. Screaming at Axel, blaming him for everything felt good at first. He decided to ignore the nausea that came with the yelling. However, the sick feeling in his stomach returned when Axel confessed him. Then, it came back full force when Axel decided to _kiss _him. Though, it was different. Instead of the queasiness he expected to gain, the only thing that appeared was a nervous, fluttering in his stomach.

Now, Roxas was _actually _sick.. Not that he minded because he did not have the urge nor the willpower to move from his room.

So, Roxas spent his whole day in his bed, sniffling and sneezing to himself. He only removed himself from his room to grab some medicine that'll be sure to help him. He was on and off between sleeping. The times where Roxas was wide awake, he spent watching T.V in his room. His stomach growled at him the whole morning, forcing Roxas to remember he had skipped out on dinner last night. But Roxas stayed huddled in his blankets, watching his favorite shows in a daze.

Then, before Roxas realized it, he was back asleep.

* * *

It was faint at first but the sound of a door creaking open caused him to mumble incomprehensibly. His television was playing softly in the distance, voices murmuring lowly into his ear. Then, he was back in a lucid state, ignoring the small noises. A couple of minutes later, he was on his way to consciousness when his bedroom door creaked open. The smell of soup caught his nose, making his stomach growl louder than before.

"Mom?" Roxas croaked, shuffling into a more comfortable position. Roxas's eyes were closed shut so he wasn't able to see the hesitating pause the figure initiated. However, tentative footsteps continued further into his room before stopping at his little nightstand. Then, a small clatter of a bowl hitting a surface reached his ears. The soft sound of the television quickly vanished, confusing Roxas. However, he realized that his mother must've turned it off. Roxas pushed himself up in a sitting position, rubbing his eyes tiredly. The scent of food was catching his attention, causing his mouth to water. Appreciatively, he mumbled a "thanks" hoarsely.

Roxas opened his eyes to find a glass of water being shoved towards his face. He took it gratefully, before taking a big gulp. Then, his eyes slowly trailed to the right, expecting to see his worried mother. Instead, a bright red flooded his sight. It was Axel, with his tall stature, tensing when blue eyes spotted him. Roxas choked on his water, sputtering. He hastily placed the cup on his nightstand, right next to the soup Axel had laid out. A few watery coughs escaped him, while his throat burned even more.

"What're you doing here?" Roxas gasped out, trying to calm down. Axel had a stiff expression on his face, a tint of worry reflected in his eyes. The sight of Axel continued to make him freeze, making him breath in deeply to soothe himself.

"Your mom told me you were sick." Axel stated, standing there awkwardly. "I came here to see how you're feeling." Roxas sent a soft glare at Axel, a bit uneasy. His mind kept flashing back to yesterday's events. Roxas felt his heart skip a beat when he recalled the way Axel kissed him, desperate and needy. His face felt warm and Roxas could only hope he wasn't blushing. Right now, having Axel standing there was making him uncomfortable. Roxas cursed his mind for bringing back such stupid memories.

"I'm feeling quite shitty.." Roxas started. "Now that you're aware on how I'm "feeling," you can leave now." Roxas shifted into his sleeping position, turning his body away from Axel. Suddenly, a heavy weight placed on his bed, startling him. Roxas turned his head to find Axel sitting, a concerned frown on his face.

"Stop being so stubborn." Axel declared, his eyes firm. "We're friends, aren't we? Let me worry about you once in a while." Roxas scoffed, shuffling as far from Axel as he could.

"Yeah right..." Roxas mumbled, shooting a frown at Axel. "Leave me alone, I don't want you here." Roxas was growing irritated. His head ached, while his eyes demanded to be closed shut. His mouth was still dry and he was exhausted. Roxas didn't want Axel to be here. Then, quite randomly, a question popped up in his head. "How the hell did you even get inside my house?" Roxas was directing a suspicious glare at Axel.

"I didn't break in if that's what you're wondering.." Axel muttered, his mouth stuck in a tight line. "There was a key under the mat at your front door. Your mom mentioned it to me." Roxas raised an eyebrow, a bit baffled. His mother never informed him of any hidden keys. However, Roxas probably never needed it because she was always welcoming him in by the time he reached home. His mother was always the first one to come home after a day at work which raised another question.

"Then, where the hell is my mom?" Roxas glanced at his clock, noticing it's been at least an hour since school ended. "She should've been home by now." Though, it was high unlikely, Roxas suspected Axel might have done something.

"She told me to look over you so she can buy some groceries." Axel appeared to be a little irritated, as if he could sense Roxas's accusatory jeers. "Look, if you're angry about what happened yesterday... Then, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kiss you." A little voice in Roxas's head whispered "_then, how about Namine?_" Axel shouldn't be bringing back any events from yesterday because now all Roxas could remember is how Axel kissed him... and how he kissed Namine.

"I don't want to hear any of this right now.." Roxas mumbled, pulling his blanket over his head. Axel scoffed, moving his hand over to remove the blanket. Roxas growled, as he felt Axel attempt to tug his blanket away. "Stop pulling my blanket!"

"Come on, Roxas!" Axel was tugging his blanket a bit harder right now, forcing Roxas to clench his blanket tighter. "Show me your face." Can't Axel read the atmosphere? Clearly, Roxas wasn't in the mood to be playing games.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Roxas snarled, ripping the blankets off him, glaring at Axel. His anger slowly dissolved when a fit of coughs attacked him. "GO AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU!" A stunned look crossed Axel's face for a brief second before a teasing smile appeared. However, his face was a bit stiff, causing his expression to appear a bit troubled.

"You don't really mean that." Axel cooed, as he rubbed Roxas's messy hair around, ruining it even more. "You shouldn't treat a friend with such hostility." Roxas froze, his cerulean eyes narrowing. A friend? Axel ruined their little friendship yesterday when he decided to kiss Namine.

"You're not my friend." Roxas stated bitterly, crossing his arms. "You need to leave my room, I don't want you here."

Finally, Axel removed himself from his bed but he did not leave. He was standing there, his air around him appearing more unsettled than before. Something in Axel's expression caused Roxas's heart to stutter guiltily. It looked as if someone shot Axel right in the chest, wounding him. The way Axel was staring down at the floor, green eyes gleaming with dejection caused Roxas to frown. That emotion didn't suit Axel's confident look at all. There had been a time when Axel made a similar face they were younger, which would usually cause Roxas to snort and sneer at the redhead. But now, it looked awfully uncharacteristic of Axel, who was usually _so _cocky and cool.

"I already apologized, didn't I?" Axel whispered, softly. "I never meant for it to turn out like this. So, can't you forgive me?" Roxas snorted, turning his head away from Axel. The redhead frowned, before placing his hand on Roxas's shoulder. Roxas made no move to shove his hand off."Isn't there something you want me to do? Do you want me to talk to Namine? I can always try hooking you up with her?" Axel's voice sounded strained the moment he mentioned Namine.

"No, you can't! I don't need your help for anything. Just leave me alone." Roxas groaned, swatting Axel's hand off his shoulder. "I'm serious, Axel.. I don't want to talk to you.."

"But-"

"You want to try and help me!?" Roxas growled, staring at Axel with an intense gleam in his eyes. "Then, stay out of my house! Damn it, Axel! Why couldn't you have stayed wherever the hell you were in the past ten years of my life?! You should've stayed the same way you were back then! UGLY, FAT AND WEIRD! That way I wouldn't have felt the need to ever befriend you. SHIT, why the hell are you NOT fucking obese?! Namine wouldn't have liked you if you were a fatso and.. and... and.." Roxas paused, opening his mouth a couple of times, straining to spit some more words out. Axel was just standing there, paralyzed in shock, with the most horrified expression on his face. "-and.. Damn it, Axel... _Please _just go!" He begged, glaring down at his blankets, ashamed.

Without another word, Axel left the room, slamming the door so hard it made Roxas wince. Hurried footsteps were running down the stairs before the sound of the front door banged shut. Roxas silently stared down at his hands, before planting his face into them, groaning. That was _not _what he meant to say at all... Sure, he wanted Axel to leave with a few small words of encouragement. But more words continued to spill out after the first couple of words. He never meant for it to be _that _harsh.

His stomach began to grumble, while his mind was deep in thought. Then, he suddenly remembered the soup Axel had placed on his nightstand. He grabbed the soup, before staring down at it blankly. It was one of his favorites... A nice bowl of potato soup with bacon bits sprinkled on it. Tentatively, he took a spoonful of soup and tasted it. Then, he continued to scarf down the bowl until it was empty. Despite being cold, it was _really _good. Roxas couldn't help but wonder how Axel knew what soup he liked the most. Also, it wasn't canned.. It tasted quite similar to his mother's hand-made soups she would usually cook for him.

Roxas was starting to feel the effects of regret. Axel's dismayed face kept popping up, making him feel guilty. Sniffling, he shook it off, before snuggling under his blankets, deciding a good nap would make him feel better.

* * *

A hand was on his shoulder, causing him to immediately sit up, producing a startled yelp. Blinking his eyes awake, Roxas glanced to his right. He gave a disappointed groan when he discovered just who the person was. It was Sora, with a dumbfounded expression on his face. Axel was the person Roxas was hoping to see, but it didn't really mattered anymore. Instead of feeling better, Roxas was feeling lethargic. The shame only increased ten times bigger than before after he took his nap.

"Uhh.." Sora was smiling tentatively. "Were you not expecting me?" Roxas shook his head in response. Sora was always the one to visit him when he was out sick, mostly to do two things.

"So, did my mom tell you I was sick?" Roxas grumbled, crossing his arms, expecting to hear the usual response.

"Yah, she sure did! That's why I brought this!" Sora exclaimed, reaching into his backpack to pull out a few items. Roxas groaned, already knowing what items Sora was planning on giving to him. First, Sora handed a small stack of homework to him. Roxas only scrunched his face in disgust, gazing at the multiple problems on a single page. Then, the next thing that landed on his hands was a huge bag of candy. "Well, it's a good thing you have a whole weekend to do your homework!" Roxas only stared blankly at Sora, before remembering he left another pile of work at school yesterday. Roxas grumbled, scowling down at the candy Sora placed into his hands.

"Ugh, Sora! You're not suppose to bring sweets to a sick person. I thought we went over this last time when I was coughing my lungs out because you decided to buy me sweets." A sheepish grin appeared on Sora's face, along with a few small laughs.

"But everybody loves sweets! Especially you!" Sora declared, grinning widely. "You have such a huge sweet tooth that I couldn't help but buy you some candy! Don't you remember the days when all you liked to eat was sea-salted flavored deserts? Whether it was candy, cake or ice cream, you ate it all! I'm really not surprised by the number of cavities you gained after that." Roxas shot a glare at Sora, his mouth tightly drawn in a frown. Now, why did it feel like Sora was mocking him?

"Oh, shut up." Roxas mumbled, staring down at all the candy Sora had bought for him. They all looked incredibly tasty...

"Well, have fun chowing down on them." Sora smiled, seeming rather pleased with himself, before walking to the door. Then, he paused. "Dinner will be done in ten minutes! Your mom's making fettuccini alfredo and it looks really tasty. I'll see you down there!" Then, Sora flew out of the door. His excited footsteps tumbled down the door before stopping at the kitchen. There, he heard his mother's enthusiastic voice chattering with Sora.

Sighing, Roxas began to prepare himself for dinner, pausing for a few moments to give out a cough. Just as he was leaving the door, his mind flickered back to Axel, recollecting the way his face froze with shock. A small sting of shame struck his heart, but he quickly disregarded it with a frown, telling himself it was nothing. Then, he was out of his bedroom door, walking downstairs for the first time that day.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, I don't think people actually get sick right away but for the sake of this chapter, they sure as hell do. Sorry for a little later than usual, haha. Plus, this chapter seems a bit short to me which is a bit sad but whatever.

Hope you enjoy ;D


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